When I lived in the city, rain used to really bum me out. It meant more cars on the road, a more miserable wait for the bus (which was always filled with more people), and getting wet while I moved between buildings. It meant humidity and bad hair and wet socks.
Here in the country, I have a very different attitude. Rain is a good thing. A great thing! A true miracle of nature!! When it rains, it means my gardens are getting water.
Rain means our water tank is getting filled. Water (or, rather, a lack of water) is a real fear of mine. We ration showers and use every single drop with care. So whenever it rains I really do thank the heavens for it.
A wet day is an opportunity to write, plan, do the finances and study. In the city I spent every day in front of a computer. Here, I only really spend much time on my laptop when it rains.
I’m still getting my head around the way water flows through this property too. A good downpour is an opportunity to go outside and watch how it comes down the hill and where it leaves the boundary. This will help me work out how to keep it here safely in the longer term.
Recently we had a short dry, hot spell for a few days. It reminded me of the dry, hot spell we had earlier this year. That lasted 4 months without a single drop of rain. To think about going that long without rain here is – frankly – terrifying. I already suffer climate change anxiety. That hasn’t exactly lessened with the realisation of exactly how important that miracle from the sky really is.
We are surrounded by forest. It’s one of the reasons we purchased this block. It’s older than I can imagine and in places, tinder dry. The recent wildfires in Australia show what can happen without careful water management and regular rain. My fear isn’t just about skipping showers or being unable to quench my thirst, but about my entire world literally burning to the ground.
I am truly grateful for rain here. I don’t wake up dreading a rainy day. Instead I eagerly await them, keeping an eye on the 10-day weather radar. if I hear raindrops on the roof when I wake up, I excitedly check the weather monitor to see how much we’ve had during our sleep.
I say a thank you to the sky for the water flowing into the tank and feel genuinely grateful for the thing that used to make me miserable.
Weird how your attitude can change like that, huh?
