WHY we LOVE the rain…
JUST ANOTHER BEAUTIFUL DAY IN DAD's EYES…
We woke to thundering rain on the 30th of December…I peered out my porthole and glared at the sleeting squall and brooding dark sky…My somber glance turned to dad, who, to no surprise, was cheerfully lighting the tea kettle and watching the drops fall with a ridiculous grin on his face. My father has the unexplainable ability to wake up SMILING EVERY MORNING of his life…It doesn’t matter what the day will bring, rain or shine, ups or downs, flying from San Diego to Baltimore or New York or Michigan, fixing a toilet, or helping me do my taxes. I can’t remember a single day in my life that he didn’t leap out of bed with cheer in his voice and a twinkle in his eye!?! Despite all my wishing for perfect winds and sunny skies during his visit, we were having stronger than average trades and RAIN, RAIN, RAIN for the second day in a row.
“That’s how it goes, honey,” he cooed after my dramatic sigh. Another black cloud closed in over the bay… “It doesn’t matter where we go or what we do. This is exactly how it’s supposed to be! I’m enjoying EVERY minute! In fact, this reminds me of a song I recently heard on the radio in Grand Rapids. And he instantly broke into a bold country twang, “I LOoooooooooooooVE the RAAAAAAIN…cuz the raaaaaaaain makes the COOOOOOORN and the CoooooooORN makes the WHIIIIIIIIIIIIIISKEY, and I LOOOOOOOOOOVE WHIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIISKEEEEEEEEEEEEEEY!!!”
“Is that really a song, Dad? Or did you just make that up?” I laughed.
“I could hardly believe it myself when I heard for the first time. I kid you not, I heard it on the radio. The Midwest is a world apart from California…” He chuckled.
He didn’t really love whiskey, but the point was clear…We had to love the rain!! Complaining wouldn’t change anything, only spoil the mood, all we could do was embrace it. He’d walloped my rainy day blues with a ‘left hook’ of humor, leaving me no choice but to smile and sing along too for another round together…
“I LOoooooooooooooVE the RAAAAAAIN…cuz the raaaaaaaain makes the COOOOOOORN and the CoooooooORN makes the WHIIIIIIIIIIIIISKEY, and I LOOOOOOOOOOVE WHIIIIIIaISKEEEEEEEEEEEEEEY!!!”
We donned our Patagonia rain gear and headed out to meet the day, singing through the showers!!!!!
I LOVE MY DAD!!!!!!!!
4 Comments
auntie
January 13, 2011Too darling you two<3 …… and it must be genetic.. I AWAYS wake up the same way, cheery:)) It drives me crazy to be around a downer first thing..bla
Ken Painter
January 14, 2011Hey Liz,
I had to laugh at your dad’s rain song. There is a current country song like your dads:
Rain makes corn
Corn makes whisky
Whisky makes my baby…feel a little frisky
I dont know the artist but its a fun song.
Ken
SV Mariah
Seattle
Bud Elkin
March 29, 2011I thought I was the only dad with daughters like you! I love your writing, and the pure love of life that you put into each word. Even when you were in the yard for so long your writing made me feel like I was right there. My daughters are your age too, and have traveled the earth. We are recyclers and sailors as well. Keep up the writing; it is very inspiring to more people than you think!
allan weidner
April 12, 2011A spiritual, albeit C&W version of Robert Service’ poem, Contentment. Love your dad!!!