The past few months have been nothing but cold and wet. After a long, hot, wet summer, I had so hoped for a drier, mild-temperature fall, and winter. Normally, I love winter (especially from a fashion stand-point), but the older I get, the more I crave beautiful weather and endless opportunities to get outside and 'play' with my family and friends. Gray winter days and wet, cold drizzle that can't seem to be rain or snow, have paved the way for the dreaded winter depression.

As someone who suffers from Seasonal Affective Disorder, winters are just plain tough. I long for warmth and sunshine, and my mood suffers drastically on these insufferable gray days. Today, however, I woke up to the sound of rain... actual rain. The pitter-patter on our tin roof awakened my soul in a sense. Yes, it's still a very gray day, and it's still chilly, but the rain is bringing a sense of peace I have been desperately in need of.

Every time it rains, our yard turns into a mud pit. The kids want to go out to play, and when they do, they come in with nearly ruined shoes and clothes, thanks to that darned mud. I wondered if it would ever stop being so wet outside? Would the muddy shoes and mud-stained laundry piles ever dissipate? After the horrors of 2020, I've been in search of signs of hope, and yesterday, I got my sign in a pair of cardinals nesting in the bushes outside of my dining room window. I work from the table most days, and love watching the pair chirp and jump around, their bright colors unbeknownst to them, bringing me cheer.

As I looked beyond the birds, I noticed green shoots popping up out of the ground. The early buds piqued my curiosity and prompted me to poke around the rest of my yard. I noticed new buds on trees, shoots on my rose bushes, and black-eyed-Susans coming up... in January! While it may be very early for some of these blooms to be showing up, I couldn't be more thankful to see them. Signs of spring are all around me right now- from the birds nesting to the flowers shooting up, and yes, the steady, calming rain falling gently from the gray sky.

Today more than ever, I am thankful for the rain.