Raindrops on Labradors

I got to walk in the rain today. One of those beautiful light grayish skies and a cool breeze greeted me and my lab, Murphy, as we began our three mile walk. It wasn't raining when we left the house or I would have felt the head shaking of my husband behind me and heard the shouts of "get back here and wait for the rain to stop...you've had a cold all week!" You see he is one of those people that was raised with certain credos like "come in out of the rain" and "go to the basement when you see a tornado" (no matter how magnificent it looks from the dining room window) and "don't attempt to drive through the three foot tall snow drift in the middle of our lane in a car without AWD" (no matter how inviting the pristine snow and the primal urge to conquer a pile of anything is).
 Oh...I am certain I was given the same sort of advice but it was probably during one of those times when I was deep in conversation with Emily Dickinson and used my super powers to block out any other sound. So today, with a small threat of rain, we walked. I needed to walk. Due to this damnable cold I haven't been able to for a few days and it is the time of year that an inexplicable restlessness settles on my shoulders and I cannot shake it. A sort of unnerving that puts me into a full body clench and the only thing that helps are the walks and the silence. It was at the 1 1/2 mile mark when I turned to look back at the fields and do some stretches that I heard the first, small tap on the corn followed by more rhythmic tapping on the corn, Murphy and my head.  I took a deep breath and let my tears mingle with the rain on my cheeks and with each drop felt a little lighter. 
 I walked back slowly and with much less determination than usual, reveling in the sounds , the brilliant colors of fields in fall and the simple childish pleasure of walking in the rain. I have to confess that it is more than that for me, it is a reminder that even when I feel so small and alone, I am a part of something bigger, the rain nourishes my soul just as it nourishes the fields. 
I dripped through the house and into the bathroom to dry my hair. I took another deep breath, looked into the mirror and, just as the rain has brightened the beans and the mums, my eyes are a bit brighter and my cheeks a bit pinker...although that could be a fever, either way it's really pretty.