It is strange to think that a grown, sixteen-year-old girl still likes to play in the rain. I, however, have always been compelled to run outside just as the downpour begins. There is something special about drenching rains that I find fascinating. I love the smell just before the storm arrives. I love the foreboding winds sweeping in the ominous clouds. I love the warm water soaking my hair, clothes and skin. I love to skip in the rapids which form along the sides of the street fighting to reach the drain. And I love the way I become hypnotized by the sound of the rain pelting against my skylights.

Sometimes I find this love juvenile and other times I find it romantic. I often giggle and laugh at how crazy I am to be playing in such weather. But, I also close my eyes and relive scenes from old movies where people fall in love in the rain. So, all-in all the one emotion to describe my feelings during this time is giddy.

Before resorting to frolicking, I close my eyes and let the warm summer rain seep into my being, my existence. I almost feel saturated with life when I do this. I don't think there is any other time when I feel more alive than when I am splashing around in the puddles.

When I start getting chilly the magic is lost, and I know I must return to the dry, uneventful life of my house. However, more often than not, after returning inside I can be found letting the warm water of a shower soak into my being. -