Scared of a Little Rain

I love Thunderstorms.

My first dog, Shiner, didn't mind them when she was a puppy, but once she turned four or five she started freaking out when it stormed. She would pant like crazy. She would run around the house and try to find a place to hid. She would follow you everywhere. Once she started losing her hearing, she suddenly didn't care again. Probably because she was blissfully unaware of the storms. 

Gunner is now seven. When he was a puppy, he didn't mind storms either. He used to watch Shiner run around like a goof. Now, he is starting to hate storms. Tonight, when it started storming he got really antsy and kept walking around. Now that its night time and it's storming really bad, his tail is down and he is scared. I picked him up tonight and held him real close. I told him, "It's okay Gunner. We won't let anything happen to you. You are safe." He calmed down while he was in my arms, but once I put him down he went back to being a mess.

Currently, my other two dogs are laying next to me, passed out. They could care less. 

It makes me think about the cycle of life. Not just with dogs, but adults too. As puppies or babies we don't care about the storms. Once we get a little older and we start noticing the storms, we are frightened. I know I was when I was little. I used to have to sleep with my parents or sister when it stormed because they scared me so bad. Then once you get older, you see that they aren't really that scary. Though the one doctor my mom works with would disagree. He got hit by lightening. 

I'm not scared of storms anymore. I think they are beautiful now. I love watching the rain come down and bounce off the ground. I love hearing it fall and the sound of each drop hitting. I love thunder as it rolls across the sky. I love when its dark out and the lightening suddenly lights up the sky and the world is bright for one brief moment. I love the smell. The smell of the world becoming clean once more. The smell of the water washing away the day and the dirt and making everything fresh. 

I love Thunderstorms.