Friday, July 17, 2009

Rain, Rain


Anywhere you go in the world, the surrounding region has risk for one or another of the forces of nature. Some places are more prone to earthquakes; others to hurricanes. The mountains get blizzards, while the Mississippi River delta gets spring flooding. I think Texas is prone to dirt.

In addition to the perpetual minor threat of tornadoes, Ohio gets rain. As a child I loved summer thunderstorms; the louder the better. I love the rumble of an approaching storm; the hush that falls and the breeze that kicks up as the dark clouds draw closer; the tendrils of humid air that give the storm an aura of personality.

During my visit to Ohio, the region has been experiencing one of its most temperate summers in years. Temperatures have hovered in the 70's while the folks back in central Texas endure scorching triple digit numbers. The grass here in the northern part of the country is soft and green; the leaves of the maple and oak trees whisper secrets to one another in the gentle breezes.

Today the kids got to experience something they haven't seen much since early this spring, and I got to stock up on my inner rumble quota. To celebrate the summer storm that moved through the area, we all piled out to the wicker furniture on the front porch for an unobstructed view.

Boo and Roo flirted with the storm, dashing out into the rain and back again. They grew bolder, seeking puddles in the driveway for splashing. Before I knew it they were joyously running up and down the edge of the street in front of the house, sloshing through the flood runoff.

So funny, how the novelty or mundane nature of a thing depends so much on your exposure to it. I remember so many times being annoyed by rain. In fact, I noticed the other day that the upcoming family picnic at my parents' church has a date, and a rain date. Come to think of it, a dozen years ago the Captain and I had to reschedule our outdoor wedding date due to a conflict, and ended up with a traditional church venue. It turned out for the best, because we had rain on both dates that summer.

But I digress.

My favorite part of parenting comes when I rediscover the world through the eyes of my children. Today I watched and felt this thunderstorm through my children, and I loved it the way I did as a kid. Without reservation, without inhibition, enjoying the simple pleasure of the moment.

I love thunderstorms. Maybe tomorrow we will get another.

1 comment:

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