Why does rain evoke so many emotions and feelings? I don’t know about you, but when I hear rain, something triggers in my head. And different kinds of rain trigger different emotions and reactions. Everyone is wired differently, so the emotions may not be the same for everyone. It could bring back good memories or bad. It depends on the person and the situation.
My husband and I are complete opposites. There is very little that we match up on when it comes to likes and dislikes. Rainstorms are one of them. He absolutely loves the huge thunderstorms with all the strong winds, hail, thunder, and lightning. I, on the other hand, despise them. They give me so much anxiety! I never used to have a problem with them until we moved to Oklahoma City. After going through some massive storms and having to literally get in the car to outrun them, I’m not a fan anymore. My kids are the same way, which is probably part of my anxiety. Phil was rarely home when we had all those big storms in OKC, so it was me and the babies huddled in the closet or trying to buckle them into car seats in the middle of a tornado. Major dislike!
But, I will say, those storms do have some good. Thunderstorms are so powerful. I guess I never realized just how powerful they can be, until we moved to OKC. Now, I’ve gone through a tornado here in Minnesota before. I was 14 years old. We literally had swirl marks in our backyard. The tornado went back into the cloud just before it hit our house. We only lost one animal in that storm, which, in itself, was a miracle considering the guy across the highway had cattle in the trees and lost most of his herd. But, the Oklahoma storms are in a class by themselves. The weather there is so unpredictable. It changes in the blink of an eye. The storms there are scary.
Those types of thunderstorms show me how powerful God is. When the winds are so powerful they can blow a barn over or create hail that is five inches across, you know it’s something you don’t want to mess with. You’re not going to win. You can always tell when a storm is going to be a nice one or a scary one. The electricity in the air sends a buzz through everything. I can feel the hair on my arms standing up on end and my nerves are put on edge. The animals are always more rattled and edgy too. They know what is coming and don’t particularly know how to handle it.
These storms feel like you may not come out unscathed. The rain comes down so hard that it sounds like it might drive holes in your roof. It’s so loud that you can hardly hear each other speak inside the house. The water runs so hard and fast down the driveway that it creates ruts and looks like an overflowing gorge. The water is coming down so fast that the ground can’t absorb it fast enough and things start flooding. You can hear the water rushing off the roof and toward the ground as the wind takes the drops and smashes them into the windows. The wind is so strong that it feels like the house will blow over like it did in “The Three Little Pigs.” You can see and hear the wind whipping the trees around like they are tiny little toothpicks. The thunder and lightning are so close and strong that they shake the house with every clap and strike. The hail sounds like a professional baseball pitcher practicing on your house, car, and barns. You can feel the layers of tension throughout your home and property as these storms pass through. These are the storms that cause damage. Physically, financially, and emotionally. They keep me in awe (after the storm passes, that is) by their power, but they definitely keep my anxiety level pushed to the top as well!
But then you have the other side of the spectrum. If it’s a slow, steady rain, my body automatically relaxes, and my stresses slip away. I love the sound of a steady rain pattering on the roof and the occasional low rumble of thunder off in the distance. I may sound like an old lady here, but I love to sit in the rocking chair and work on some embroidery or crochet while I’m listening to the rain drip off the eaves of the house. I love to watch the little drops hit the puddles and send their ripples into the abyss of the water. I love to feel the clean air during and after a rain. It brings so much relief and freshness to our little world. It’s almost as if the world sighs with us when the rain is over. I love to smell the clean, wet air, and listen to the birds chirp their bright songs as they play in the water droplets left on the leaves in their trees. I don’t know if there are good enough words to describe the feeling and smell during and after a rain. It’s beautiful and comforting. It’s a fresh new start. It’s like God hit the pause button on life, and, when God hits play again, we all start with a deep breath of clean air and a fresh perspective. Many people don’t like rain, but I am the opposite. I thoroughly enjoy a good rainy day as long as it’s a gentle rain.
I am crazy excited that spring is here now. We just had our first good, soaking rain for the season. It was a beautiful and gentle rain. I think everyone enjoyed it after that long crazy winter we had. Which do you like better? Strong thunderstorms or slow, gentle rain storms? Leave me a comment with your rain stories. What is your favorite activity for a rainy day? I would love to hear some of your favorites!
Imperfection At Its Finest 