Rain Rain (Don’t!) Go Away

Last updated on: August 28, 2014 at 12:18 am by Molly Khan

Rain Rain (Don’t!) Go Away 2014-08-28T00:18:55-04:00 Molly Khan

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

One of my children’s favorite things to do is play in the rain. Regardless of the weather, when they hear the telltale drips they’re on their feet and out the door within minutes, ready to frolic. Of course, they inevitably come back about ten minutes later, soaked through and freezing and begging for towels; but there’s nowhere in the world they’d rather be in that moment.

This week has been incredibly wet for my part of the midwest, and I couldn’t be more thankful – it is sorely needed. As a Pagan in a drought-prone area, there’s few more sacred moments than hearing those first drops fall; and that’s a feeling I want to pass on to my children. This can work for any natural phenomena, so if your area has different exciting events, please adapt and bend these suggestions to fit your own experience!

The first and I feel the most important thing I do when it first starts to rain is thank both the rain and the deity I honor who I believe is responsible; for me as a Heathen, it’s Thor. I throw up my hands and say “Hail Thor, bringer of the rains. Thank you for this life-giving water! Hail to the rains who pour down on this land. Thank you for nourishing all that live here!”. After that’s done, I try to do my best to both feel and express real joy about what’s happening – even if I’m not thrilled that it’s pouring and sixty degrees outside while I’m trying to walk the kids home from school. You know how parents are always saying their kids teach them how to have fun? Let your children teach you how to find joy in nature. My personal favorite is to run around shouting “Everything is getting a drink! Isn’t that amazing?”. That usually gets all of our blood pumping!

My favorite part is after the rain has stopped, and we can go for a family walk to explore all the changes. The little creek near our house is fed from the storm drains, so any amount of rain causes it to swell considerably. While it spends most of the summer hidden beneath grasses growing out from the marsh-like mix of mud and a sparse amount of water, after a rain storm it roars to life. The grasses are bent ninety degrees, flowing along with the waters (though by the next day they pop right back up!) and sometimes little fish or frogs can be seen making their way through the current. Everything seems more colorful after the rain – the greens shine greener, the blue of the sky is brighter, even the colors of butterflies and other insects stand out more than before. The children love to skip through the puddles, pointing out all the new things and little differences they can find.

Last, before we head inside, I like to take a bit of rainwater gathered in a leaf or hollow in the ground, and anoint the children. Saying “May the rain ever bless you,” I trace the shape of a raindrop on each child’s forehead, marking the moment as sacred and full of meaning. The best way to teach a child what times are sacred is to live those moments with sacred purpose.

photo courtesy of shutterstock

Previous Post

August 20, 2014

Where Babies Come From: A Heathen View

Next Post

September 2, 2014 August Link Round-Up: Linking generations through milk, blood, magic, and mentoring

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category abortion Adoption birth Birth Guardians birth stories breastfeeding Contraception divorce Flash Points From the Editor's Desk grandparenting home infertility marriage menstruation Miscarriage Pagan Families Parenting poetry postpartum pregnancy review ritual sex education Uncategorized Wednesday Wisdom

Select a Month September 2015 August 2015 July 2015 June 2015 May 2015 April 2015 March 2015 February 2015 January 2015 December 2014 November 2014 October 2014 September 2014 August 2014 July 2014 June 2014 May 2014 April 2014 March 2014 February 2014 January 2014 December 2013 November 2013 October 2013 September 2013 August 2013 July 2013 June 2013 May 2013 April 2013 March 2013 February 2013 January 2013 December 2012 November 2012 October 2012 September 2012 August 2012 July 2012 June 2012 May 2012 April 2012 March 2012 February 2012 January 2012 December 2011 November 2011 October 2011 September 2011 August 2011 July 2011 June 2011 May 2011

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz

Who boldly risked her life to save her people with the phrase, "If I perish, I perish"?

Select your answer to see how you score.

Esther Ruth Deborah Hannah