Thunderstorms: Soothing and Intimate

Today, my city is being hit by a string of thunderstorms.  I love it.  I find it a welcome and much needed break from the hot and sunny days we've been experiencing lately.  In many ways, I think I prefer a nice rainy day, provided I don't begin wondering when my corner of the earth started having a monsoon season.

Sunny days are pleasant, but after a while, the bright sun and scorching heat it tends to bring becomes harsh.  The bright rays bouncing off any white or even light surface begins to take its toll on my extra-sensitive eyes, and I begin to dread spending outdoors in the headache-inducing brightness.

How glorious!

A nice rainy day, on the other hand, strikes me as soothing and enveloping.  I feel like the dampness in the air cradles my body as I calmly walk -- providing the rain isn't so great that I'm running to avoid becoming completely drenched -- to wherever it is I'm headed.  There is something about a damp, rainy day that leaves me feeling as if I'm not alone, that there are those unseen companions who walk with me every step of the way.  I do not often get that same sense on a hot and sunny day.  Perhaps the harsh light and heat drives my unseen friends away.  Or perhaps the harsh light blinds me to them.

And if the rain is being brought by a thunderstorm, then the glorious light show that accompanies that feeling of closeness and comfort is magnificent.  Today, I watched as perfect zig-zags of lightning arced from cloud to cloud, and sometimes fell from the sky to the earth.  It's the sort of thing that leaves me breathless (and wishing for a way to catch such a display with my digital camera).

Today is the sort of day that would only be made more perfect by a companion to share such a moment with.  I could imagine sitting with a lover on a porch swing, or better yet, on a blanket spread beneath the sheltering arms of a giant tree.  We could sit in our (relatively) dry and comforting shelter, arm in arm, and watch quietly as the gods enthralled us with the whimsical show of brilliant arcs of lightning and crashing thunder.  Such a lover and I would revel in the magnificence around and the intimate sense of togetherness we shared.  Who knows, perhaps if our safe haven was private enough, we might make love, giving the gods a sight to behold in return.