RAIN

1 a: water falling in drops condensed from vapor in the atmosphere b: the descent of this water c: water that has fallen as rain : rainwater

Today brought rain. Lots of lovely rain.

It brought an excuse to wear my new (pink!) rain boots.


It brought an excuse for a lazy afternoon of book reading.


It brought an excuse for two of my three daughters to play outside in the damp air, on the damp grass, where they ended up damp.

I needed this rain. The autumnal July weather brought with it fall allergies. The last two days found me sluggish and congested in a way that is expected, if not appreciated, in November. In July, it is nearly unbearable. I needed a good rain to rinse the air of pollens and my mind of clouds. I needed to give myself permission to spend a day reading, not cleaning. Reading, not organizing. And, OK, a little writing, too. I needed to rinse myself of "shoulds" and bathe in what feeds my soul.

So I was thrilled to wake at 4 this morning to the sound of rain. I was even more excited when it continued throughout the day. While a brief shower can be refreshing, sometimes what I want is a good soaking. Today I was happy to soak up the rain and all that it brought to my garden, my children and my soul.