Let the rain kiss you. Let the rain beat upon your head with silver liquid drops. Let the rain sing you a lullaby. -Langston Hughes.

Yesterday, I was strangely excited. The sky stayed dark all day and my battered wind chimes worked overtime. Clang, clang.the weatherman wants to tell you something I stopped working for a minute and let my senses drink it in. Clang, clangget off your ass and turn on the TV. After months of frosty air, I cracked open my office window and felt actual warmth seeping in. Clang, thump! Rumble, rumble, rumble, thud. The trash can was rolling down the street, so I pulled myself out of my giddy trance and went downstairs to investigate.

For the billionth time since the advent of Cable TV, I silently thanked the powers that be for the wonder that is The Weather Channel. Theres no guesswork when the sky turns greenish black; just cold, pelting facts. As it turned out, my trusty wind chimes were right -- we had 40 mph gusts and a severe thunderstorm warning. This is the stuff that excites me.

As it turned out, I didnt need to gather my loved ones and scurry down to the basement with flashlights and bottled water. But, I did enjoy my first thrill of spring. My daughter has a shiny yellow slicker, matching knee-high rubber boots (a.k.a. Christopher Robin) and a lady bug umbrella to arm her for springtime in the Midwest. I have kitchen drawer full of batteries, basic cable and an eye to the sky.

I realize that most people dread the soggy season that sits between winters coziness and the freedom of summer. But I dont like dreading anything. Its a waste of time and energy. To me, excitement equals happiness and any change in the weather is down right thrilling for me.

These days, my whole family enjoys Mother Natures mood swings. The rainy season means we get to jump over the worms on the driveway on the way to the mailbox. I learned that my shine enhancing shampoo for brunettes gets equally luminous results on the coat of a muddy black lab. And, after a while, the constant thumping of wet sneakers in the dryer is barely audible.

Today seems rather boring by comparison. Its not hot, not cold. No sun, fog, cloud rotation or precipitation in any of its glorious forms. If I were to venture outside, I wouldnt need any special kind of equipment at all. What fun is that? I think Ill just curl up with The Weather Channel and see whats brewing for the rest of the week.

Activity Exercise: The next time it rains, put on something plastic and head out the door for a walk. (Check The Weather Channel first, of course, to make sure that you wont be pelted with baseball size hail. I said I like adventure, not pox marks.) Stick it out for a while. Walk away any anxiety you may have about getting your hair wet, or muddying your shoes. After a while, youll realize that its just water and, even betterwhats that strange feeling? Invigoration.