“Thunderstorms. The hiss of the wind, the boom of the thunder, the lightning that lights up the sky. Why? Because of chaos. Because sometimes in this boring, scheduled life, this waiting-for-Friday-night life that we all lead, we just need the world to remind us that not everything is perfect. Sometimes nature can’t handle the pressure. Sometimes the sky explodes.”

It's easy for us to appreciate the sun, but appreciating the rain is a different story. Thunderstorms are the mix of roaring booms, flashing lights, and torrential rain. But couldn't they also be a symphony of sound, an illumination of brightness, a freeing of water to the earth?

When we are little, thunderstorms are scary. They are loud and dark. They are unexpected and harsh. They are everything we as children hate. And even as adults, we dislike thunderstorms, they are seen as an annoyance, disrupting our way of life. Thunderstorms get quite the negative connotation. I would dread thunderstorms when I was little. It felt like an evil force of nature. Then on one hot, summer night, my whole family was over for my brother’s birthday. It was a beautiful night, filled with laughs and love while we sat outside on my deck. Then the worst happened. A thunderstorm out of nowhere. My mom quickly brought all the food inside. But, my family stayed outside under a big umbrella, telling stories and laughing while it poured rain. I couldn’t stay outside. I ran as quickly as I could to the couch, shutting my hands over my ears as tight as I possibly could. Then, my cousin came over to me and said something I still, to this day, have not forgotten. She sat me on her lap and told me not to be afraid. She said that the angels in the sky were just having a party, that the lighting was their disco ball and the thunder their music. This changed my whole perspective. I took a big step that day in my little life. After she told me this, I decided to go back outside with my family, in the thunderstorm. And it was the most freeing feeling in the world. I didn’t have to be afraid of thunderstorms. Ever since then, I have found a new appreciation for thunderstorms.

So often, we think of thunderstorms as a nuisance. They interrupt our daily routine. They are loud and noisy. Sometimes they shut off out power. Sometimes they scare us so much, we have no choice but to sing about our favorite things. But this is exactly why we should love them. They help us stop what we are doing and readjust. Thunderstorms seemed so evil to me, but now it is like a little gift from the sky, telling me to take a breath. Here are some ways thunderstorms give us something to celebrate.

1. They shake our daily lives up, both figuratively and literally.
2. They are an excuse to stay inside.
3. They are an excuse to read a good book.
4. They are an excuse to light a candle and cuddle up with your family.
5. They give us a chance to see nature in it’s purest form.
6. They are unexpected.
7. They are a show to watch.
8. They leave fun puddles to jump in the day after.
9. They water our flowers and trees and lawns.
10. They help us appreciate the sun.

Let's start appreciating the sun by also appreciating the rain.