This is the wettest year I can remember, so when an aspiring writer Caren Penaloza, who is taking writing classes in college, asked me to offer her reflections on the rain, I agreed and bring her thoughts to you:

Rain. It is truly fascinating how everyone interacts with something that doesn’t breathe life yet affects all of life.

Something so simple as rain can offer a multitude of changes in one’s attitude. Whether it makes us anxious about having to drive in the rain or helps us reminisce about our childhood and how fun it was to splash in the puddles, rain elicits feelings in us.

 Alternatively, for someone with a hyper-active mind the rain can offer peace of mind. Whether it is the constant patter of raindrops on the concrete or the coldness that occasionally comes with it and goes right through us, rain lets us hear, see and feel so many sensations.

When we have a cold rain, there are relaxing indoor activities that can help us appreciate the rain. One very calming activity — or lack of activity — is layering blankets while listening to the pitter-patter.

Another thing the rain offers is the opportunity to drink a delightful cup of hot chocolate or a piping hot cup of coffee to ward off the chill.

A fun activity if there are children in your household is to play what I call the droplet race. It is a game where each player chooses a raindrop on the window and whoever’s droplet gets to the bottom of the window first wins.

When we don’t feel like staying indoors and the outdoors just calls to us, there are exciting things to do and sensations to experience in the rain. For example, there is something special about small droplets hitting our cheeks as we walk. For me, this is one of the most peaceful feelings of life.

Not only is the sensation of constant little drops peaceful, but the added exercise helps clear the mind. To be quite frank, walking is good for the soul but of course if you do go for a walk in the rain, don’t forget rain boots.

Much of my musing about outdoor rain activities is for times when the rain isn’t a taging deluge or the wind isn’t howling.

When the storm behaves like a tropical force of nature it is a whole different ballgame, and it really is best to stay inside under the covers and put on a good movie or binge-watch some shows.

Overall rain is very interesting in the ways that everyone interacts with it differently. Personally, I like to look on the brighter side of life and something that I look forward to is the rainbow after the craziness of rain, when sunlight filters through the moisture hanging in the air.

It is not just the rainbow after the rain I think about, but how the rain helps keep the greenery alive, thus providing more food for little critters such as bunnies and squirrels.

These long weeks of rain have been crazy yes but have provided opportunities to either stay indoors and bundle up or go outside to experience all the sensations of rain.