A Chance of Showers

I grew up (in my high school years) in Mill Creek, Washington. There, it rains on average 9 months out of the year. I rarely remember wearing a rain coat or carrying an umbrella, and neither did many people I knew. They say Washingtonians were born with gills. Here, on Adam and Thelma's blog is what people think about it: http://thelmadavis.blogspot.com/2008/06/june.html

I think most right-minded people don't "LOVE" the rain. And perhaps you never will, until you know someone who LOVES rain. This is my mother. She loves rain. I remember her opening the front door one rainy day, spreading her arms wide with shoulders back looking heavenward and whispering "I love the rain". She would several times reverently say "Aaah Suzy, don't you just love the rain?!" on such days. I had no reply. That was until I had my own rainy day experience.

When I got to Tawian for my LDS mission, the first impression: man was it hot. I remember the Huge splatters of red that covered the streets from Taiwanese chewing tobacco. They would be all over, all within 5 feet of eachother in Kaohisung. They seemed to just be part of the color of the road.
Except for a few days when when the heavens showered them clean. It seemed there wasn't a spot on the ground that was safe from the cleanse of flooding rains during the monsoon seasons. It amazed me how the streets transformed from a calico mess to a sleet gray after a good washing. I even came to appreciate how black the clouds got in anticipation for their down pour.

I then learned to love the rain. I love how tree branches and bushes are heavier and how grateful they seem. While I don't know if I would love it more than the sun, it's nice every once in a while. Each time it rains, it is a gentle reminder of a chance to start anew.

It rained on Tuesday, pretty hard. Tennis, along with everything else was cancelled. So, the boys and I simply ran out in the rain without any rain gear or umbrellas in hand. Boy did we look crazy. But this was the perfect time to introduce Hunter and Tanner to someone who had learned to love rain. Me. Because I needed to let go of all the calico spots that harbor themselves in my stubborn heart. We talked about how Heavenly Father can wash people clean just like he can all roads in Shanghai.