The Blessing Of Rain

After weeks of overcast, misty, rainy weather, the weather is forecast to change over the next several days, revealing more sunshine and partly cloudy skies. I marvel at my love of the misty, wet weather that has predominated recently, given how much I was drawn to the Southwest sunshine previously.

My love of the rain and mists makes sense to me, though. I grew up in Northeast Ohio, where cloudy days and rain were so common that it was unusual to see anyone with a suntan. When I first went to New Mexico, I couldn't get enough sunlight, and spent as many waking hours in the sunshine as possible, hiking in the wilderness or doing my work outdoors whenever possible. The altitude and dryness in Santa Fe contributed to incredible clarity, where it was easy to see a mountain that was 100 miles away if nothing blocked the line of sight. I needed that clarity, at least, metaphorically, for my inner spiritual process during those years. In the desert, everything is exposed to the sunlight; inside myself, it was somehow easier to notice the hidden impulses and programmed responses in the light of my consciousness.

After 33 years of relentless internal exploration, though, I felt drawn to water and moisture, again. In that sense, it's not a surprise that I still feel a little disappointed when the skies clear and the misty clouds evaporate for a while. I haven't gotten my fill of rain and high humidity, yet. I love seeing the water all around me, and I like being outside in the rain. I enjoy hearing the steady drone of rain falling onto the roof of my house. The sound of the rain is such a comforting feeling to me. I feel like I'm being nourished and blessed by the rain, the wind and mist. All I have to do is look around me and notice how the trees and plants respond to the rain to see that this is true.

I do love sunlight and sunny days, but I'm obviously still balancing out my years in the desert with the abundant blessings of moisture available here on the Olympic Peninsula.