Something about the pattering of the rain on the rooftop, the dripping of the raindrops on the darkening windowpane, and the warm dryness inside that makes me not mind rainy weather at all.
Rainy days cast a spell on me. As a child, I remember watching from the balcony the linden tree outside our apartment rustle with thirst and feel the wind on my face, and a pleasant shiver would run down my back.
And if it’s a storm and the build-up to it catches me outside, all the better. The wind picking up speed, stirring the trees, making women’s hair flutter, warning people to hurry for cover, isn’t there something beautiful in nature’s shifting moods?
Appreciating rainy days can be an acquired taste too, like dark chocolate or blue-veined cheese.
If we look at the science bit, there’s a connection between rainy gray skies and mood. Rainy weather can affect our well-being. It can make us sad, sleepy, mess with our appetite, and even cause physical pain.
But I think that every rainy day is also an opportunity. There are so many things we can do on a rainy day spent at home….
1
Listen to the rain music on the rooftop and against the windowpane. Hear it not only with your ears but with your whole being. It’s such a wonderful sound. And it’s not sad at all—it’s the sound of trees and grass and earth slaking its thirst, the sound of dirt being washed away, the sound of rivers and lakes being renewed. If thunder plays the drums, all the better.
2
Or listen to sad music. Sad music can actually improve our mood when we’re down. There’s an exquisite pleasure in listening to sad music, a journey down the road of empathy, all the more so when it’s dark outside and raining.
3
Discover the simple pleasure of breathing. Find a dry spot and become aware of your breathing. Breathe in and out, in and out. If thoughts distract you, return to your breathing. Sit there for at least 10 minutes.
4
Start reading that book that you’ve always meant to read but never got around to. Or pick a book at random from your shelf and leaf through it. Be with a book the way you’d be with a close friend or with a lover.
5
Watch a classic black and white film. Ideas: Casablanca, Citizen Kane, Roman Holiday, Bicycle Thieves, La Notte, or Schindler’s List. These films look and feel better on a rainy day.
6
Make yourself a cup of loose-leaf tea. Fill your teapot with a warm infusion and sip it slowly while looking out the window at the passersby with their umbrellas, the speeding cars, the empty pavement. It’s pleasant to be on the warmer side of a rainy window, isn’t it?
7
Write to someone or write a poem or an entry in your journal. Rainy days were made for trees and reading, don’t you agree?
8
Make a list of all the things you want to do once it clears. Committing plans and dreams to paper makes them more tangible. Plus, there’s a simple joy in making lists.
9
Don’t do anything at all. Be as wise as a cat on a rainy day—lie there doing nothing, but without letting boredom or desire to be somewhere else get in the way. Do nothing, not just with your mind, but with your whole being. Do nothing so you can rest and recharge for all the things you’ll be doing once it clears.
Do rainy days get you down? Or do they awake the writer/reader /artist/tea-maker in you?
Painting copyright the Art Hub, Memories by the Window
boy with a hat 
And dance in rain 😍…