Rain

I looked down at the tiny puppy dog eyes looking up at me.

Well, what would YOU have done with TWO sets of them, peering up at you so adorably!?

I opened the sliding glass door and hollered "YIPEEE!!!"

There was no stopping us.

Hurrican Alex is here, and it hasn't stopped to rain these last few days.

I watched as Kai run to find bugs in the pouring rain, and Jaiden jump into the kiddy pool in his sagging diaper.

I chose the swing.

I swung higher and higher while the rain drizzled and down poured onto my face.

Memories came flooding back.

The days it would rain and my dad would let us kids play in the puddles out in the streets in Japan, or the cool bamboo forest I used to walk through to get to school...the little stream that glistened and escaped through my fingers in the sun light up in the mountains behind my grandparent's home...the smell of the lavender field I walked with my grandmother...

The swing moved back and forth and I swore I could smell dinner my mother made so many years ago...

The rain continued on, and so did the memories.

I thanked my dad in my heart, who taught me to not be afraid to play in the rain.

With droplets of water trickling down our noses, Kai, Jaiden and I jumped and splashed around in the kiddy pool together and caught some bugs.

I hope my kids will not remember the scary mommy that I can be sometimes, but remember that I, like their "Jiji" was able to get crazy in the rain and play with them.