
As a kid, I was good at making things up. I lied more than most people, and no I don’t advocate it, just telling the truth (now). I guess in a way it was preparing me for life as an author where telling stories is a way of life. In elementary school my third grade teacher had us fill a composition book with stories – you remember those ugly black and white marbled cover books. I hated those things because you can’t flip the cover all the way around without breaking the binding (don’t ask how I know). Anyway, I think that class helped me love writing and gave me the foundation for it, even though it took me another 25 years to realize it! One of the stories we had to write was about the weather or being outside. I don’t know exactly what the topic was, but I remember writing a detailed story about how much I loved the rain.
What’s funny is I realized as I wrote that I was writing the truth.
After that essay I loved the rain. I know I wrote about how quiet it is in the rain because everyone else is hiding indoors and how nice it always smells after it rains. Even the sound of rain is soothing, as long as there’s no thunder. Outside my apartment right now, it’s raining. It’s been raining since last night sometime. When I dropped princess off at school this morning she was disappointed that it was going to rain because it would mean she couldn’t go on the playground at school, but for me, no big deal. I’m not an outdoorsy sort of person. I hate bugs, dirt, and sunshine. I’m a weird one. But the rain always makes things fresh and new. In the rain, the bugs are hiding and the dirt is washed away. And of course the sunshine is hiding. It’s odd to me how something that seemed right in front of me my whole life was something I hid from. The rain has brought out the writer in me again and whenever it rains I say a little prayer of thanks that I found my true calling. I also find myself grateful that I never stopped looking for what made me happy. Next time you feel a little lost, wait for the rain, and let it wash away all the extra stuff until you find the real you. It worked for me!