Thunderstorms are my favourite kind of weather. Can't get enough of them. It wasn't always so. As a small child the loud claps of thunder terrified me and the scary flashes of lightning were too much to bear. At the first sound I dived for cover under the kitchen table and nobody could tempt me out until the whole, scary business was over!
So what happened? Well I grew up with a Dad who wasn't scared of anything you didn't really need to be scared of and he saw no reason why his youngest daughter should be either. So at first he sat under that table with me (if you ever saw the size of my dad you would know this was quite an achievement) chatting about the storm and explaining all that caused it, then after a few storms he held me in his arms by the window to watch the amazing display of lightning. I still buried my head in his shoulder each time the thunder clapped though. Gradually I became a little less frightened and although I wasn't keen I didn't dive for cover any more. We often watched storms together, not that they happened often.
I lost my Dad when I was still very young but I remember the first storm after he died. I saw the lightning and I rushed to the window. I suddenly felt like I was close to my Dad again and I knew that he would never let anything hurt me so any fear I still had disappeared. I actually started to go outside in storms which caused my mother to remonstrate with me that I may not be scared anymore but I wasn't invincible and that I should be sure to stay away from trees!
Nowadays thunderstorms are just exciting things to be enjoyed. I love all weather except strong winds, they terrify me. Rain I adore. As everyone else is diving for cover I am rushing out of the door. There is nothing more perfect than a walk in the rain. Everywhere is so quiet, everything smells so fresh and positively shines. If you look in the puddles you can sometimes see the footprints as the fairies dance in them. Some people think I am mad but most of the friends I have made over the years have given me a long suffering look, donned waterproofs and come with me Some have even grown to love it!
The best time to enjoy the rain is in the summer. I often slip off my shoes and go dancing in the garden in heavy rain. I recommend everyone tries it. It is the most wonderful feeling. The rain is so refreshing and the feeling of the damp grass between your toes is heaven. My husband used to think I was mad and suggest I came in. These days he just laughs though he does insist I wear pumps in thunderstorms because, like Mum, he thinks I'm not invincible. But Dad and I, well we know different!
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