Here comes the rain again. I guess that is to be expected considering springtime is upon us. 

Personally, it is my favorite time of the year. I love a good rain shower and the not-so-severe thunderstorms every once in a while. And that might be an understatement. I am kind of obsessed with them.  

I am probably one of the very few people who check the weather and see that a good storm is brewing and then become highly disappointed when it dissipates or moves elsewhere before it reaches my location. That may be weird, but as long as there are no tornadoes or large hail involved, bring it on.  

While I am confessing my obsessions, I recently downloaded a new app on my phone. It is a sound generator specifically for rain. It is actually called “Rain Rain.” You can find sounds like rain on a window, rain on a tent, city rain, forest rain, rain downpour and my personal favorite, the harbor storm. The harbor storm sound effect gives you a mix of rain, thunder and the occasional seagull. It has gotten to the point where I can no longer fall asleep without it.  

My love for the rain has rubbed off on the girls. They also look forward to a good storm because that means an automatic mood boost for me along with cuddling on the couch and enjoying a good movie. When I say a good movie, what I really mean is Harry Potter. Those movies are excellent, but they are even better in the middle of a thunderstorm accompanied by a few scented candles – rain-scented candles, that is. Obsessed, I know. I am getting chills right now just thinking about it.  

Another thing that is so much better when you are enjoying a nice, rainy day … soup! Any kind of soup – chicken noodle soup, tortellini soup, vegetable soup and of course taco soup.  

I honestly think I just described my perfect day – thunderstorm, Harry Potter, scented candles, taco soup and cuddles. Pure bliss! Nothing can beat it.  

My kids have taken this to a whole other level though. They absolutely love it when the weather actually gets bad, I mean like a tornado warning bad. Me? That is where I draw the line. I want to be on the couch, not huddled up on the bathroom floor with a mattress over my head. Nothing blissful about that, but they think that is so fun. Maybe I have just done such an excellent job at making a game out of it, so they do not freak out (I should really say so that I do not freak out) or they are just deranged. They gather up blankets and pillows, a couple toys or electronics and just act as if we are on a nice little camping trip in the middle of our house, in the middle of a subdivision, in the middle of a tornado.  

They also love the aftermath of a good rain – mud puddles. I never deny them an opportunity to jump in one. I have been known to join them a time or two.  

Rain can be an immensely powerful force especially when it comes down too fast for too long. Too much of a good thing. But it also brings flowers and crops, an occasional rainbow and a promise. Quite frankly, I am looking forward to it right now for all the reasons above, but mostly to wash away some of this dang pollen – another perk of springtime.

(Paige Nash is a wife, mom, digital journalist for Webster Parish Journal and publisher of Bienville Parish Journal.)

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