“Come on with the rain
I’ve a smile on my face
I walk down the lane
With a happy refrain
Just singin’,
Singin’ in the rain”

– by Nacio Herb Brown and Arthur Freed

It rained today. I didn’t necessarily sing about it, but it was one of those glorious, all-day rainy affairs. It reminded me of my childhood, because I loved rainy days as a child. I know, most children don’t…but for me, a rainy day meant a day of reading books and eating my mom’s homemade soup. You see, we lived out on a cattle ranch, and if the weather was fair, we were out as my mom says, “making hay while the sun shines.” There was always something to do when it came to cattle. Fixing fence, spraying weeds, and working in the hay-field were just some of those sunny day jobs. Don’t get me wrong…I appreciate the way I was raised,. It gave me a strong work ethic, and I gained valuable life lessons. But, there was just something about rainy days for me. I was such a bookworm growing up, and those days were precious. Books are a way to escape the life you lead, or a way to travel to destinations unknown. Wanderlust always overtook me on rainy days with a book in my hand. I traveled all over the world through many pages. Lately, we haven’t had that many rainy days. It only rains for a short time, and then the sun comes out again. This pattern has led to drought conditions that have been very difficult to overcome. Today, however, rain is falling on this precious land. In adulthood, I don’t have the luxury of reading all day during a rainstorm. Instead of traveling with a book in my hand on this rainy day, I have work to do. The sound of the pitter-patter of raindrops can’t escape my thoughts, though, and my mind continues to wander through where I’ve been, or where I’d like to go. Wanderlust…that “ache for distant places” that my heart longs for.