it's a wonderful complicated thing this rain is.

It rained this afternoon for the first time in nine days. It's been a not so rainy rainy season this year. Today's rain ushered in a quite welcome coolness that still remains as this day ends. A group of us were playing frisbee out in a field when we saw the storm approaching from the distance. There's been a handful of deceptive clouds over the past week that have dissolved into nothing, but there was still hope this dark spot would materialize into rain. Gradually the clouds increased in darkness and the wind did crazy things to the frisbee. Then you could see the darkness reaching to the ground. Then you could hear the rain hitting the rooftops of homes in the distance. Of rain hitting the paved road coming towards us before finally coming and soaking us as our game came to an end.


I love rain. I am so grateful for the coolness it normally brings with it. I am grateful for the fun that can be had in splashing about it in. I am grateful for the calmness that arrives with it when your plans are cancelled and rest prevails.



I have friends who don't like the rain so much though. One of our first big storms this summer I was home when it began. Rain was taking a nap in his room. I read a book. It was so dark in my room I needed to turn a light on in the middle of the day. It was a perfect afternoon. A day or so later I was talking with my friend. Her son lost his shoes in that same storm. It rained so hard their house flooded. Again. His shoes washed away. Again. And that is the reality of rainy season for so many of my friends. How many times this year will our house flood? Is there anything we can do to help our house not flood? What will happen when our neighbor raises their land higher and we become the lowest house on the street?

This rain is a wonderful complicated thing.

So completely complicating life for so many people as it muddies roads making driving a fun adventure or as it causes people to seek higher ground for their houses and brings with it questions of floods and all the troubles accompanying them.

So completely necessary for the rice and crops to grow and flourish.

So completely full of germs like the flood waters that lead to an almost nationwide pink eye epidemic last year.

So completely fun to romp and frolic and play in.

So completely beautiful.