Waiting for the sun, listening to the rain

I've always loved the rain. Provided I'm indoors and don't have to go outdoors anytime soon.Wait. Let me start over. That's not a nice enough thing to say about rain. Rain, which feeds our plants, keeps our world living, makes sure we don't shrivel up and fall into a pile of dust.When I lived in South Florida, it rained a lot. Basically, for about six months, it seems as if it rains nearly every day. Sometimes it's for five minutes, sometimes for an hour. Upon rare occasion, it might rain all day. But when it rained it rained. Torrential downpours. The only time people in Florida didn't drive like maniacs was during a downpour. They knew better than that. They might be slightly crazy, living in Florida, but they're not stupid.The times I loved the rain when I lived there, however, were the days when I was sitting on my sofa in my living room, facing the windows. I would hear the steady rush of rain, and it was the soundtrack to my afternoon. I'd curl up, reading a book (we didn't have Kindles back in those ancient days), with my cats nearby. The rain would relax me, fill me with a sense of calm.It's not surprising that lots of white noise machines include the sound of running brooks or rain.Rain is a symbol of renewal, of life.As it began to rain this morning, I decided not to be mad that it was raining and I was trying to get my groceries out of the car. It wasn't raining hard yet, and, after all, it's just water, right? We had other errands to run, and when we got back home, the only reason I could think of to be sad it was raining was that I couldn't take my dog for a walk. We have nice one-hour walks every day the weather permits. She's a Siberian Husky, so the cold usually doesn't stop us. The rain, that's another thing entirely.I know tomorrow will be muddy in the park, and I'll be frustrated at the flecks of dirt that I'll have to clean off her legs and paws, but I won't be mad at the rain.I've had arthritis since high school, and it flares up mostly in rainy weather, such as today. But it's a dull ache rather than a sharp pain, which is what it used to feel like. So I feel that ache, and I know our world is being washed clean.This sounds utterly corny, and very unlike me. I know a few people will probably ask me if I'm feeling OK after reading this.Thing is, there's nothing more beautiful than a bright, blue sky after the rain.You just have to wait for the sun to come out.Photo by Ricky Kharawala via Unsplash.