Rain, Rain, Please Don't Go Away
Image by Aksamit
It’s been a rainy week here in sunny Southern California. I was worried there for a bit since we began 2021 in the high 80s. Now, at the end of January, the highs are in the 50s, making it feel like a real winter.
I bundle up in the mornings to come to my office and make a hot cup of tea as soon as I settle in. The sound of the pitter patter soothes me for I know our parched Southern California land is soaking up all that water and getting the nourishment it needs.
Of course, rainy days are trickier with young kids because they need to expend a lot of energy and the best way to do that is by running outside.
But I have found that with the appropriate attire, they stay pretty warm and happy. We turn on the fire right before our outings so we return to a cozy home and are able to immediately strip off our wet clothes at the doorway. My kids love running around naked inside our house. I’ve heard this isn’t unusual among kids.
The best part about rainy days, however, are those few moments I’m able to spend by myself, after the kids have gone to bed. I open my window so I can hear the rain coming down. I pull up my comforter to warm me up from the chill. I sit and listen.
Last night, my husband tucked up next to me on our bed to do some of his work. Whenever he has evening deadlines, he usually works in the guest-bedroom-turned-makeshift-office to concentrate. This time though, he said he just wanted to be near me even if it meant less focus. Perhaps the rain made this atmosphere more alluring.
“You know what this reminds me of?” I said to him, “Grad school.”
He laughed, “You mean where I would study on your bed just to be near you?”
“Yes and no…mostly, the feeling of working next to one another, without the worries of taking care of little people. The sound of the rain takes me back to our years in Connecticut too.”
It’s often said that Southern California doesn’t have seasons like other parts of the world. The truth is, we do have seasons, they’re just more subtle. You have to lean in and pay attention. Otherwise, the whispers go unnoticed.