By Syed Nasir Ershad

Last evening was a pleasant time for me. Because when I was walking in the streets of the city yesterday afternoon, suddenly it started to rain. Well it was not that sudden. Sunlight was gradually going off as the sun was getting covered by clouds well before the sunset. There was indication that it might rain, but it did not appear that the rain would come so soon. Hence, I was happily walking when the wind started to blow stronger and then thunders began to roar. Surprisingly, instead of becoming worried, my mind became happier and started longing for the rain. I did not stop, even did not try to find a shelter perchance the rain started. Then I realized, actually I loved rain.
Why do we like rain? I was thinking for a while. There might be several reasons why we should not like rain, e.g. it is inconvenient to get out of the house or office to go to our destination if it is pouring outside. The roads become patchy and wet, even flooded sometimes. In such situations, we may feel annoyed or frustrated; not happy! But surprisingly the consistent drum-beat pattern of falling raindrops has a very calming and relaxing effect that allows us to steal away in our thoughts and contemplate, dream and reflect. I do my best poetry and short story reading when it is raining. There are a lot of sensory perception involved: feel, smell and sound. To me, the rain helps to put us in touch with what is truly inside of me, which is the essence of the spiritual side of life.
Like tears, rain represents stormy weather, cleansing and new beginnings! Painful experiences cause us to cry but those tears help to cleanse our soul from pent up emotions, frustration and pain. And when we are finished crying, we recover and start all over again. Rain drops falling on tin shade rooftop create a rhythm which appears to be melodious to my ears. On the other hand, we also like to see the rain falling in vast empty field in front of us. Again rain in a forest might give us another sort of experience. Given an option to choose between sun and rain, many might prefer the latter. Rain is just a sign of peace and refreshment. We feel like this because of how we originally associate the weather pattern with our mood. For instance, if we were having a really brilliant day while it was raining, we might subconsciously develop a habit of getting happy when it rains.
A lot of people also like the smell of rain. Rain feels good as it helps to cool off. After the rain stops everything calms down and the surroundings become soothing. It is relaxing. The earth seems to be renewed in a spectacular way after it rains. The grass stands a little taller, the leaves on the trees look a little brighter, the streets seem a little cleaner and a new beginning seems to start. And when a huge, bright rainbow appears on the horizon, it gives a feeling that something good is about to happen. We feel happy in heart.