RAIN

I love rainy days. If there is any positive aspect to the onset of spring (a season which is still in question in NE Ohio) it is gloomy, drippy Saturdays such as the one we are now experiencing.




I say so with the full awareness that the river across the street and through the woods from my home is well above flood stage and many of my NE Ohio neighbors are cursing the addition of more water from the sky. So, I DO give thanks today that in my 1919 home, the basement remains dry... a blessing I do not take lightly. That said, I love the rain.

When I wake up to more than one sunny day in a row I start to feel uncomfortable, as if something is just NOT RIGHT in the world. I live in the cloud laden section of Ohio which tops Seattle in the number of cloudy days we endure. My friends and neighbors battle with SAD every winter. I'm sure I am in need of double doses of vitamin D. And yet, too many sunny days messes with my head. Funny isn't it? The weather can't be that happy for that long or something is amiss!

Living in Colorado during my early adulthood I loved the abundant sunshine, but I also loved waking up to mountains days where the surrounding peaks were engulfed in clouds and fog for the whole day. It added mystery. It allowed for the melancholy and reflection of one's soul to flourish. Maybe it is as much diversity in the weather which taps into the diverse sections of my soul as much as it is the clouds and rain.

Where you end up living starts to shape your DNA (and that of your offspring.) My kids won't even consider living in the south for college where the winters are warm and the sun shines! While my daughter in college in Seattle complains about the rain and clouds, she complains MORE about the lack of snow. Meanwhile, she has grown to appreciate the positive aspects of rain boots which college coeds wear all the time out there out of necessity, not merely fashion!

And my son? Considering schools below the Mason Dixon line is flat out. No snow. Too much sun. His current choice: Boston. That for lots of reasons, but the weather IS part of it. That seasonally shaped DNA. I hope they don't ever curse us for their weather history. I also hope they don't end up living in Hawaii or some other ungodly, perpetually sunny location!

Today is the perfect day for writing on one's blog. For designing digital photography pages, for choosing paint colors for the new kitchen. The cloudy light is just right! I wouldn't want sunshine to mess up my choices.