The Rain

It’s raining today.  Not the typical kind of Florida rainstorm that rises up with relentless convection from the sun beating on the land to form thunderstorms that energetically blow through in a matter of an hour or two.  This is the kind of rain that is steady…..and comforting.

Living in Florida now for almost seven years, I have almost forgotten what it is like to be inside for a whole day because of the rain.  When we lived up North, there would be far too many days like this, but I never really minded.  There is something very cozy about being inside and hearing the rain on the roof steadily falling.  There is a sense that nothing is so demanding and pressing that it can’t wait until the earth takes a drink.  I loved that feeling of relief from responsibility, that sense that the universe would not mind if I took a day off to rest today since it was raining.  We all need that relief, especially in these times.

It seems like there is so much pressure thrust upon us from so many directions.  Our economy is a mess; people all around us are struggling to make ends meet or dealing with all manner of family crises; we are all trying to do too much with not enough time available.  We all have so much on our calendars, our agendas and our minds that we somehow can’t quite complete them day to day.  And then, suddenly we get a break…nature makes us slow down.  It rains.
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Nearly every morning when I get up, the sun is usually blasting away, especially in the summertime here in South Florida.  There is a part of me that hates that sun every day.  It implies that there is too much to do and I’d better get up and get to it—not a moment to waste!  But this morning, the sun wasn’t out when I opened my eyes.  There was this fuzzy grayness outside my windows and I could hear the rumble of far off thunder and the steady beating of the rain against the bedroom windows.  It seemed to say, “Relax!  There is no rush today, take a break, take a deep breath, lie there and enjoy the stillness and the sounds. “  And so I did.  The only thing missing from this scene was 40 degree weather and a fire going in the fireplace.  We don’t see much of that kind of temperature here, but if I don’t look out the window and see the palm trees, I can imagine it.

The change of seasons is more subtle here in Florida, but it is a definite change.  The arrival of this kind of rain signals the shift in seasons.  It means that weather fronts are the dominant pattern as opposed to localized thunderstorms. 

Looking out at the lake and seeing the rain making patterns on the surface of what is usually a  smooth glassy view amplifies the feeling.  The water steadily drips from the awning edge to the patio.  It’s OK to not do anything.  It's time to stop and take a deep breath.  It’s OK to just sit and watch the rain, and think about all the things that can wait until tomorrow.