Alive and Clear

Written by: Sabine Roggermeier; Gluecklich Im Sein

This Easter we were truly blessed to have such sunny and warm weather. It is quite normal to have a lot of rainy days here in April. Not this year, however, which does make me wish for rain for the sake of nature and everything that is turning green these days!

I have a vivid memory of a rainy day when as a child I was visiting my aunt in another part of Germany. One day I had gone down the street to visit one of her neighbour friends. We were sitting on her partly canopied patio chatting away when the rain started coming down. It was summer, so the rain came hard and fast. It splashed on the patio right in front of my feet. The roof of the patio was made from clear corrugated sheets, so along with making the sound of the rain really loud, we could see the water shower on the roof onto the ground and patio. After a while, I even took my shoes off and stuck my feet out to get them wet. It was an all senses experience of rain: The water splashing on my feet, the booming sound of the rain hitting the roof, the fresh smell in the air while the rain was coming down like a curtain of water. Sitting there in the middle of the rain, yet protected from getting soaking wet, gave me feelings of security, comfort and excitement all at the same time. That is probably the reason why this long-gone moment in time is still so fresh in my memory.

Indeed I kind of relive it when it is raining like that in summer. I sit on the windowsill with the window open staring out to the trees standing behind the houses on the opposite side of the street. When the sky is dark due to the rainstorm the trees have an extra dramatic look. Again I feel comfortable and safe there on my window ledge!

Now in springtime when a rainstorm makes the air cold again I prefer to curl up on the couch or in my bed with a good book or movie. It’s such a guilt-free pleasure! To make it even better I often use a big blanket, open the window and listen to the rain hitting the metal roof of the neighbour’s shed.

Then when the rain is over the best activity is to take a walk. The streets are usually empty and breathing in the moist crisp air deeply and filling the lungs with oxygen is such a life-giving act. Taking a walk in this kind of weather makes me feel alive and clear. What a refreshing thing to do!