From outside the box

When I think of all the beauty this planet has to offer....the glorious sunsets, amazing waterfalls and rivers, ocean waves crashing, lush green valleys, the full moon rising in the east, the scent of gardenias or the color of pansies, the aura of a new born baby, the sound of birds chattering in the twilight....none of these things are as beautiful as rain. Rain is as important to our survival as the sun and the air. Without it the only life on this planet would be in the oceans. So why does everybody hate rain?

I remember a moment last year when I was standing on a bridge at the tree farm starring into Comanche Creek, and I had this realization that water is both physical and spiritual. As solid matter it sustains life. It becomes spirit (or spiritual like) when it dissipates (disappears) and rises towards the heavens. And eventually, as rain, it re-manifests back into the physical. Is that the mystical power of rain? Does rain demonstrate the journey of our own souls? Do we shun the rain because on some primal level it reminds us of the journey we make as souls when we come into the physical world, knowing the hardships and struggles that await us?

I grew up in Southern California where rain was scarce. One of the reasons I moved to Chico was because I heard that it rained a lot here. Had I done my homework better, I would have realized that 25 inches of rain a year isn't that much, not for me anyway's, and I probably would have gone further north or over to the coast.

I am in my true comfort zone when the rain is falling, the harder the better. Rain seems to enhance whatever you are doing. You become more creative when it's raining outside. Books and coffee go great with the rain. Making love is better when it's raining outside. Rain cleanses the air and nourishes the earth. Rain seems to make us more reflective. The sound of rain hitting the ground is as musical as the sound of birds singing. But for me, the true magic of the rain is the way that it gives you a little space and insulates you from the rest of the world, from everybody else. The neighbors house seems a little further away. The barking dog is either quiet or not as loud. Boom boxes are silenced. Nobody is in your face, we all seem to have a little more space and cushion when it's raining, even though we are at the same distances from each other.

My children all seemed to inherit my love of the rain. We always got a kick out of the weatherman saying there is a "threat" of rain. Our little inside joke was that when it was raining we would say that there is a "threat" of blue skies. Whenever I hear people complaining about the rain, I make it a point to counter balance with some statement like, "Yes, but isn't it beautiful." And the funny thing is, most people, when they stop and think about it, usually agree with me, even though they were just complaining about it. This leads me to the theory that people do not hate the rain as much as they think they do. I think we have this negative conditioned response to rain because we hear everybody else say how miserable it is and that just kind of gets recycled around. It's kind of like the band "Abba", you really like them but you can't say that out loud.

So I suggest that the next time it's raining, instead of giving in to your conditioned negative feeling about it, think about the good things it makes you feel. Just listen to it, go outside and feel it on your face, smell it, read a good book, write something, drink hot coffee with Baileys while you discuss the meaning of life with a friend, feel how it ignites your imagination and how it soothes your soul, embrace the rain, thank God that it's raining, and then open the windows and let it in!