Remembering the Rain

Rain, rain - don't go away. Stay again another day! I love the rain and this week has been full of it. To be sure, I love the warm, bright, summer days, but there is just something about the rain. Some of my best memories are associated with the rain:

1. My graduation day. The day I graduated college it rained. At the time, I wasn't very happy about it (it is hard enough trying to get your hair to look good under a cap), but it was a great day. Not just because I graduated, but because I also moved into the first apartment Chris and I lived in after we got married. The rain was kind that day and stopped while we moved the majority of our things in, but that day was special because it marked a turning point in my life as I finished college and prepared for marriage.
   
   
   
   College Graduation
   
   
   Moving Day with Chris and Grandma Dot!
   
   
2. Our wedding day. One of my favorite smells in life is that of sweet, summer rain. The day Chris and I got married was warm and beautiful and it rained lightly that morning. It seemed so appropriate that on the day we committed to each other and began a new life together that God sent rain. The grass and flowers glistened as the sun came out, and it reminded me that, just as God nourishes the soil, he nourishes our lives as well.
   
   
   
   Our wedding day with Maid of Honor (Wendy) and Best Man (Matt)
   
   
3. The first day of our honeymoon. One of my favorite days of our honeymoon was our very first. We flew into Boston and it was raining. I don't think I had seen Chris that nervous before, and I remember the panicked look on his face when it looked as if we were going to land directly in the harbor (anyone who has ever flown in to Boston knows you don't see land until you have almost touched down). The adventure continued with Chris' first cab ride - in the rain - with a surly cabbie who didn't seem quite as excited to be in Boston as we were. The best part of that day, however, was when we decided to wander the streets of Boston in search of dinner. We discovered an Italian oasis - Vinny T's, which remains, to this day, the best Italian I have ever eaten. My mouth waters anytime I think of the delicious food, but the real treat was meeting our waiter, Joe Collins. He was ecstatic about our marriage and,in true Italian style, showed his excitement by bringing us more food! He even gave us his cell phone number in case we needed to know how to get around the city - and people say northerners aren't nice! The rest of our honeymoon was amazing, but will always love that rainy first night the most.
   
   
   Our first night in Boston at Vinny T's
   
   
4. Emma's birth. Having a child is an amazing experience and the birth of your first is particularly special. It is also completely scary. Not only do you face the monumental challenge of bringing in a child into this world, you are all of a sudden hit with the thought, "I am going to be a parent - who would let me be a parent?" While I was in labor with Emma, it began to rain. I was exhausted and excited, and the sound of the rain on the window reminded me that the rain is a gift from God that brings life, and it was fitting that it rained on the day Emma was born.
   

   
   Holding my beautiful baby girl
   

These are just some of the memorable days in my life that involved the rain. There have been less notorious, but equally as enjoyable days where I have enjoyed the rain by curling up on the couch and reading a good book, watching a movie with my family, or by comforting my little ones when it thunders - I could probably fill a book with wonderful days like those.

If you hate the rain, buy some cute rain boots (I recommend Target) and reconsider! Rain is from God and we should delight in the blessings it brings. Who knows? You might make some wonderful rainy memories of your own!

Sing to the LORD with grateful praise;
make music to our God on the harp.
He covers the sky with clouds; he supplies the earth with rain
and makes grass grow on the hills.
Psalm 147: 7-8