Appreciation - Summer Storms
I have come upon a powerful exercise that has only brought me joy (and more!) since I started playing with it. It’s called (by some) a Rampage of Appreciation (RoA). You can choose virtually any subject, person, place, thing, or idea, specific or general, and just go to town on it. It’s fun to start with stuff you already naturally appreciate. Later, you can do RoA’s on things that you find harder to appreciate. (That’s where the real magic is!)
Try it yourself and see what happens!
Rampage of Appreciation - Thunderstorms
I love summer storms! In fact, I look forward to them all year long. I love how the clouds build all morning. They’re so pretty and fluffy and white. Then, part of them starts to get darker as they grow, and that adds a new beauty to their surfaces. The light changes on the desert as well, and it’s a great time for photography if I’m in the mood for it. Soon, the sky darkens completely, and I love to feel the energy in the air. The atmosphere nearly crackles with it.
And then there is the smell! I love the smell of an upcoming storm. Certain plants seem to give off more of their pungent aroma when it’s about to rain, and I want to open all the windows and doors to let it all in. As the light dims and the air thickens, I start to get excited about what is to come.
Then I hear my first BOOM! and it sends shivers down my spine. I love to watch the sky for lightning and count the second until the thunder. The air sometimes makes my hair stand up a little, and I love that feeling too. Here comes the wonderful smell of rain!! (Is there a better smell anywhere??) Soon, big, fat, warm drops of water start to plop down onto the ground. If it’s warm enough, and the lightning is still far away, I like to turn on music and go outside. My son and I have been known to dance in the rain and it’s wonderful!
During a real gully-washer (which are my favorites!) it’s time to come inside and watch the storm through the windows. Sometimes the rain will come down so hard that I can’t see the back of my property! The washes fill up and run like little rivers. I love the sound of it, and the sight of all that running water is exciting.
My favorite thing to do when it rains like that is take a little nap. There’s something sleepy about even the most violent summer storms. I can sleep right through the crashes and booms of thunder. I wouldn’t be surprised to learn that I smile in my sleep during those times. And I always wake up so refreshed.
When the storm is over, I love to go outside and take it all in. The smell is almost overwhelming, and I just drink it in. The sounds of the running water in nearby washes is soothing. Sometimes, if it’s close to the evening or nighttime, a nearby wash fills with the sounds of some sort of frog or toad croaking. There must be thousands of them to make such a cacophony! I could listen to them for hours. Everything is dewy and shiny and clean.
I love a good thunderstorm. 