Thoughts on Rain

Rain is puzzling. It can be gloomy and dreary one minute, persistent and commanding the next. Sometimes the rain is delicate and we remember its purpose. Waking up to gentle steady rain can mean extra time in the sheets. In the middle of the night, rain on the metal roof wakes an entire house up. When we get 'caught' in it, we get stuck. In a car, it is paralyzing.

I love how we say it is coming down 'in sheets' or like 'cats and dogs' as if somehow we can compare it to anything else in the world. We give it personality. We say 'it is trying to rain' or 'it is just spitting' outside. We call it patchy one day, and steady the next.

We modify our daily routines in the rain. We put on our defensive wardrobes to go to battle. We have buckets ready to catch the incoming drops of a leaky roof. We have towels to wipe the puppy's wet paws as it comes inside. We leave earlier, drive slower. We have 'ponytail' days and don't bother fussing.

On a run, rain takes on a different character. Sometimes we see it is there and we judge it. Is it light and easy? Is it cold and driving? Is it temperamental and won't last long? Rain seems to make us judge ourselves as much as we judge it. 'Can we take it?' is really what we are asking. It lets us make excuses. Getting 'caught' in the rain on a run can be exhilarating. We squeal with delight at each cool droplet that hits our skin. We pick up the pace. We watch others try to defend against it, adjusting coats and hats. We run past those who seek shelter from it.

In the end, we always say 'we need the rain'. We think about the life that it brings. We put aside the gloomy spirits and remember how it helps us. We need the rain for our spirit, not for the lawn that we now don't have to water. We need it to give us time to contemplate. To bring us back home. We need the challenges of rain to give us something to withstand. Indeed, we do need the rain.