Not to Be Forgotten

Mike and I were woken up in the middle of the night by a huge thunderstorm. Loud crashing thunder that sounded like the trees outside our house were cracking in half. Mike said this morning that it sounded like the world was exploding. Brilliantly bright flashes of lightning lighting up the whole world outside our window. Thunder and Lightning were not happy that I wrote a nice post about Rain yesterday and neglected to mention them. They were very flashy and vocal in showing their disapproval.

The thing is, I don't LIKE Thunder and Lightning. They don't convey the emotions that I talked about yesterday, they just scare me. They are too big, too bright, too uncontrollable and unpredictable. They are all the controversy in life that I seek to avoid. They make me feel small and childlike.

So this morning, when I woke up to the sound of the world crashing down around our ears, I do what I always try to do during middle of the night storms, I went right back to sleep and tried to just avoid the whole situation.

Sorry Thunder, sorry Lightning. You are magnificent and spectacular, but you will never be my friends.

Afternoon Showers

It has been raining a lot here lately, something that is always a blessing in Southeast Texas in July. I know that for a lot of people, rain is a depressing thing, that their moods darken as the clouds cover the sky, but for me, it has always been a peaceful feeling, watching the rain coming down. I am a huge fan of sitting on the porch watching the storms, or even the gentle showers. Rain is emotional for me... what I mean is that I almost feel as though the rain is conveying nature's feelings to me. A soft gentle afternoon shower reminds me of a soft piece of piano music, a lover's dance, a mother's lullaby. The heavier rains remind me of heartbreak, flashing anger, the tumult of pain, and yet... a cleansing. As if after the heavy downpours, the heart has been cleansed, the slate wiped clean, a new beginning is at hand.

I love the way the world looks just before a storm, too. The clouds pour in, and everything takes on a hushed tone. A hushed, but yet frenzied tone, as if the world is rushing to get that last bit of activity in before the showers begin. The colors become soft and muted, the wind picking up and refreshing the air. It is the hustle and bustle of the theater as people get settled before the play begins.

Do I tend to romanticize things just a wee bit? You betcha, that is just part of who I am. I like to see things in the story, in the emotion, in the romance. Sure I understand that life brings hardships and pain, I understand that there are people out there struggling with a variety of circumstances and emotions. But just for a moment, right as the first few fat drops splat on the sidewalk, I can let myself believe that the rain will come and wash it all away and that we can have a fresh start on the day.