The thing about me + rain…

We got our first rain shower of 2024 this week. 


Me and Rain? We have an interesting relationship... 


Funny enough, I didn’t know how deeply troubling my feelings were for rain until I spent a month in the midwest recovering from surgery this fall.


One night, it rained in Wisconsin — like really rained, with thunder and lightning for many hours. And I remember thinking when I got out of bed the next morning, It’s going to be a mess outside!


To my surprise, the "damage" was inconsequential. Sure, the concrete was wet. There were puddles and worms, but lawns and soil were damp at best.  Everything dried up with a few hours, and I could walk in the yard that afternoon without shoes on. I didn’t hear one single squish underfoot.


There was NO MUD.


It dawned on me. Living off the beaten path with no concrete, especially living on permafrost, we exist with one single truth:


Rain ALWAYS brings mud. 

Mud has been our nemesis. Mud in the arctic means the tundra has been disturbed, the permafrost exposed, and then the ice melts over time. It’s like a microcosm for what happens with the changing climate.


Our lives revolve around permafrost preservation, and every time it rains, the ground turns into a poorly draining, extremely fragile sponge. We tread as lightly and mindfully as possible.


Layer the fact that it’s May, and the ground is still frozen, so the snow, ice melt, and running creeks have nowhere to go, and you have a recipe for... well... squish, squish, squish. 


We’re not talking sweet little puddles here and there. We’re talking about a LAKE. Where there used to NOT BE A LAKE.


One thing is for sure: The dogs never seem to mind...

I don’t have some mind-blowing life lesson that I’ve learned from this yet. I’m just noticing how I feel, and recognizing one simple fact: I don’t want to despise rain anymore, just because of the impending mud. ​

After the rain showers stopped this week, I stepped outside and took and deep breath — and I remembered that I love the smell of the earth after it rains. I love how the sun peeks through the clouds, and the tops of the mountains reveal themselves after being covered through the storm.


I also love the rainbows. There are unlimited reasons to be grateful for rain! So don’t mind me... I’ll just be over here working on my rain-centered gratitude.


Still looking for the silver lining on mud though. If you have one, let me know :-)

In light,
Mollie