You are my Sunshine, Even in the Rain

Ever since I was a little girl, I have loved the rain. Growing up in Mesa, Arizona, we had dry weather much of the year. When Monsoon season started, though, there was nothing I wanted to do more than sit on the front patio with my daddy, enjoying the lightening, thunder, and rain. I love the smell. I love the moisture it brings. I love that it waters the plants that are a vital part of our existence. I love that rain washes away the pollution, dirt, and grime and makes everything new again. I love the rain. 

The sun always breaks forth through the
darkness (unedited)

One of my favorite memories is going along the curbside and finding the worms. They seemed to magically appear every time it would rain. It was as if they, too, wanted to celebrate the newness of the earth. In the summer, I would put on my swimming suit (if I ever changed out of it in the first place, since I was an avid swimmer), and play in the rain with my friends. It was such a refreshing treat after so many days of 110+ degrees (F). When monsoon came, the world was made perfect again. 

The past couple of weeks, we have had a lot of rainfall at our home, which we are extremely grateful. Nearby are many farms that desperately need to be watered. Since the mountainous snow levels were very low this year, the rain is heaven sent. 

Coming home from visiting a friend, I noticed the many puddles waiting to be utilized. The rain had just stopped, the sun was starting to peak out, and it was the perfect temperature to take a walk. Upon entering our home, I invited my daughter (now 8) to come on a walk with me. I told her, "I need to walk around the neighborhood and take items back to some people. Would you like to come and go puddle jumping with me along the way?" My daughter, ever the adventurous, outdoor spirit, ran to get ready: she just needed to find her flip flops. Hand in hand we set out to find puddles of goodness just waiting for us to jump into. 

It was not long before the flipflops came off her feet and we found a puddle. 

There was a gentleman (about age 30 and perhaps a young father) who was leaving a home where he had just serviced their lawn. Acting as if we were conducting everyday business, Missy B and I discovered a nice, large puddle in the middle of the street. We stood at the edge, held hands and loudly said, "One, two, three, JUMP!" In we went. It was a GREAT splash! The man had stopped what he was doing to observe. As our pants were covered in water up to our knees, Missy B and I laughed aloud, smiled and nodded at the man, then went on our merrily way. His return grin was huge and full of joy. I hope that memory leaves an impression with him to take time and make memories with your children. It is one of Life's greatest gifts! 

I loved watching her jump in, get wet, and laugh as we walked on to find the next puddle awaiting our presence. I finally stopped jumping in to take some pictures of her. I have learned that photos are also one of Life's most precious gifts. 

After darkness always comes the light. It is always there if you just look for it. While others were dismal at rain coming night and day for quite some time, we chose to found the sunshine among the rain. 

The look on her face when she would splash, the beauty that surrounded us, the birds chirping, the sun shining- we made an ordinary walk an extraordinary experience. How grateful we are for the rain!

You do not have to just see butterflies or flowers to find beauty in this world. Just look at the world through the eyes of a child and it is a wonderful place to be. 

Making memories-
Mama Dragon