Rain on the Roof....

It rained all night in Podunk. Or at least, it seemed like it did.

There is nothing more luxurious than falling asleep to the sound of the rain falling on the roof. As long as the roof doesn't leak. Knowing that those you love are safe and sound, too, makes drifting off to sleep a lovely task.

Rain is something that we don't get in the quantities we need around here. We have been in drought conditions for at least the last three years. Cities and municipalities create watering guidelines and some people just seem to ignore them. So rain is scarce and water is wasted.

I remember the nights it rained when I was a child. There was always something that had been left out in the rain, and running outside to retrieve it, I was likely to run into the rest of my family, doing the same thing. It must be a genetic trait.

Pleasant memories from long ago come to mind. My grammar school would let us bring our roller skates to school on rainy days. Our classrooms were in long rows, with windows on one side and an attached walkway along the other. Walkways at both ends connected all the walkways, so we could roller skate all the way around the school.

Teachers would stand at the corners (the “turns”) and blow their whistles if anyone was skating too fast or pushing others out of the way. More than a few of the boys thought skating during recess was a chance to train for “Roller Derby.”

I remember baking cookies and making hot chocolate for my children when they came in from school, after walking home in the rain. Sometimes, I would go pick them up, if I had the car, but mostly, I assuaged my guilt with milk and cookies. And sometimes, a neighbor brought them home for me.

Pleasant memories of rain in my life. That might be hard to imagine for someone who lives where it rains a lot, but in Podunk, rain is special. And it doesn't happen often enough. And so this morning, I am sitting here drinking my coffee, listening to the rain on the roof. And admiring the Christmas tree.

Maybe Christmas came early this year...