I am a chronic and habitual lover of rain. I can’t say for sure when this started; I think it had something to do with not having to rake leaves or pick up sticks off the lawns when it rained at the cottage as a child. Ever since childhood, I have delighted at the sound and mood rain created.

Sprinkling lightly like a dainty cat tip-toeing across a fence or torrential downpours that nourish the earth, I love it all.

How’s the weather? I ask my students, seemingly innocent, but my regulars know now. They know I want details. Whatever they’re willing to give me, I would never wish any aggressive, destructive weather on anyone, and I would be terrified to be caught in a typhoon, but heavy rain? Loud clapping of thunder, bolts of lightning far off in the distance, I’m here for it.

What’s that you say? June is the rainy season in Japan?

I make small notes, trying to keep track of whose rainy season is when. If I could hit all of them, I would. My son loves rain because I do, but my husband is from the south of Spain and doesn’t get it. He would never purposely visit any country to enjoy the rain.

Maybe it’s because everything is so beautiful when it rains. The sky grows dark and creates more contrast, bringing out the colors of the trees, bushes, flowers…and the smells. Oh, the intoxicating smells. I spend most of March walking in the large park nearby, taking photos, sniffing flowers, and breathing in their aromas, so fresh and crisp in the rain.

In North America, April showers bring May flowers, and when I first moved to Spain, I thought the rain in March was just a warm-up for the rains in April.

“Oh, this is going to be good.”

I smiled to myself, rubbing my hands together like a villain.

But then April arrived, and there were plenty of flowers and too many sunny days. I realized I’d missed the rain. I was out there enjoying it, but not the same way I would have if I’d known there wasn’t any more coming.

So now I’m prepared mentally and spiritually for March. I clear my schedule, check my umbrella, and wait until the sky fills with big dark clouds, ready to burst.

I have many photos and videos of past years, and I hope this year will not disappoint. My son and I will take our spots on the terrace and enjoy the downpours from the cozy safety under the terrace awning. We’ll drink hot tea as we laugh at the thunderclaps and gasp at the lightning bolts.

We’ll whisper, “Hurry, hurry,” when we see a neighbor and their dog dashing to get out of the rain and wonder about the birds in the large nest in the tree outside our home.

Yes, March showers bring April flowers, and I’m living for this. It’s my one month to indulge in as much rain as I can before the long, hot summer that seems to start earlier and earlier every year. It’s my one month to forget my woes and be thankful that something so simple and easy brings me so much joy.