A Lovely Rain Day

Yesterday, we had a cool, sweet surprise. I lay in bed listening to the patter of rain on the tin roof outside my window. It was cool enough for me to relish being under a sheet. I hopped out of bed to greet the children, "What a lovely rainy day!" With smiling faces, they all agreed.

I really do like rain. Maybe because I'm an Oregonian (a beaver, not a duck though). I grew up expecting rain every month, nearly every week. I relish curling up on a cold rain day to read a book. I have fun memories of dancing in the street, playing in the rain. I've owned umbrellas, rainboots, and raincoats; and used them regularly. I don't much mind the inconvenience; it's just a small part of the intrinsically wonderful. I've watched raindrops slide down the windows and windshield wipers chase each other more times than I can count. Rain refreshes and rejuvenates me; it is a part of my very spirit.


To get an unexpected rain is truly a delight. Here it is dry season. We don't expect regular rain for another three months or so. During this time, it is not uncommon to go for weeks without any rain. It is nice for drying multiple loads of laundry in a day, but I miss the rain. Right now, it is still cool enough to be bearable - highs in the mid-80's to mid-90's Fahrenheit - but soon we will be longing for rain to cool us. Even now, the rain of yesterday brought the temperatures back down to the point where we can be comfortable without a fan directly pointed at us. So, now you can understand why we call it a rainy day "lovely."

Since the sky was dark with clouds and the temperature was comfortable cool, we all slept in. To celebrate, we had hot oatmeal for breakfast and a pot of chili for supper. It rained all morning and into the early afternoon. The kids danced on the balcony in the rain while I hung laundry indoors. At bedtime, I dressed Calla in pajamas for the first time since our trip to Laos at the end of December. I snuggled under a sheet and a blanket (with a fan blowing toward me). I realized, I felt more energized and rested from a rainy day and a good night's sleep from the preceding rainy night than I'd been in weeks. Truly, rain brings "showers of blessing."


I remember the first time I lived in a place with a dry season. In Beersheva, it doesn't rain from June through October. Since Eris was born in Oregon, she did see rain during the five weeks she lived there, but she was so tiny it didn't mean anything to her. I remember the first rain she experienced. We were walking home from the grocery store when she was about four months old. I was carrying her and a few groceries, while Philip was burdened with the bulk. We noticed clouds gathering and began to hurry. When we were just a couple blocks from home, drops began falling. I started to run, not because I minded getting wet, but because I had to show the neighbors I was hurrying to get my baby out of the rain. Eris laughed and laughed. She held out her hands and watched the drops slip down her arms. She tilted her head to the sky and let drops fall on her nose. She giggled and she jiggled in my arms. Even Philip, who does mind getting wet, smiled wide as he watched his two girls enjoy the first rain of the season.

I guess having a dry season, helps me to appreciate the rain. You will not hear me complain about the daily rainstorms during rainy season. Even when my laundry get wet, even when I can't sleep through the thunder, even when the hem of my skirt is soaked. I remember the long, hot, dry months and say, "What a lovely rainy day!"