It’s raining today. Thunder is rumbling in the distance and right now, the rain has temporarily subsided. I can hear the water flowing from the rain gutters out into the grass. I can feel the cool breeze flowing through an opened window. The sound of cars on the road is more moist sounding than usual. Everything about today looks, feels, sounds and smells damp.  It’s lovely.

Every time it rains, there are those who whine or complain. It may put a damper on outdoor activities or planned trips to the beach on a summer day. But when I stop to consider the amazing wonder behind a rainfall, I lose any sort of scorn over it. A rainstorm is one of the most obvious ways to see the cycles of nature in action (clearly the circadian rhythms of night and day are more obvious). Water evaporates from bodies of water into the air, where they then become water again and fall from the sky.  While simplified, this circular pattern is Mother Nature at her finest, showing the reciprocal nature of the amazing environment around us.

On a more simple level, I think of rain as cleansing.  Just as I bathe, the Earth must bathe.  Rain is how Mother Earth cleans herself. I always enjoy watching as the plants take on a new luster, a new sense of vitality. I think of rainy days as a time that Mother Earth is taking for herself – it’s like taking a personal day to do what you want to do, to rest, to revitalize, to reflect, to be still and calm.

Now, I understand the argument that rainy days often lead people too feel down or sluggish.  I get that; I’m no different. Rather than working right now, I’m tempted to make some tea, grab a blanket and a book and curl up on the couch. I might do that later. But I think this temptation is worth thinking about. When it rains, the animals go into hiding. Birds aren’t singing, squirrels aren’t running about, and even the people appear to be waiting out the storm. I believe this is part of our nature. Rather than running about and thinking of a storm as an inconvenience to our day, maybe think about the message the rain is sending us. Do you need to take it easy today? Are you in need of more self-care? Is the go-go-go mentality slowly wearing you out, making you lose your luster or vitality? Maybe it’s a just a good, cleansing rain you need – mentally, physically, emotionall or spiritually.

How do you react when it rains?