Rain

Days that are cloudy,cool and quiet when in springtime we expect warm and sunny skies, I often find soothing, but also energizing. For some reason I think of Merlin in his cabin in the woods, solving problems he'd been pondering for a long time, somehow having an extra clear insight, because the weather is just right for a keen understanding. I like to think that everywhere important solutions about the universe, medicine, climate change, feeding the world's growing population, resolving military conflicts, all come about easier on days when the weather is subdued, here, in the tropics, just about everywhere where there is such a thing as weather. Rainy days too, have their own meaning to me. I know a lot of people complain when it rains, it gets everything wet, it makes for muddy shoes, dirty cars, messes up floors and carpets,etc., but to me rain gives me a sense of security, of being less visible, more shaded, more relaxed,too.I like the sound of rain, and how it makes everything green in the garden and forest shiny, abundant, and how it enhances the scent of the leaves, the dirt, the trees and the flowers. Cloudy days also enhance colors, makes them more dramatic, deeper,richer. In the spring and summer, the rain brings out the small tree frogs, who sing ecstatically, delirious with the joy of a new mating season. I love to fall asleep with the window open, listening to their exuberant calls. Sounds carry differently on rainy days in, too. They are more muffled, more musical,softer. I love to feel the rain get my hair wet, and how it gets frizzy, making me feel more relaxed, more casual. Everything smells better after a rain shower,it is mother nature's washing machine, for our hair, our clothes, and also our attitude, our energy, our soul. Rainy days always make me feel renewed, lighter, freer. I know too much rain is a real problem, and so is not enough rain. It is rare that a flood or drought are a blessing. But just enough rain, to add a touch of sparkle to everything when the sun comes back out, to freshen the growing flowers and vegetables, the feeding animals, the stressed out people who tend to take everything too seriously, a whimsical rain shower that messes up our hair and shoes, our carpet and car is just the thing to get that sense of humor back on track. A walk in the rain, with or without that umbrella, might be just what the proverbial doctor ordered, so we can watch the ponds and lakes rejoice at the extra reserves they will have when we do hit a dry spell in the summer, and watch the birds and frogs get a cool drink of water as they watch us too appreciate the blessings rain can bring.