Today was another dark, rainy early spring day after what seemed like too many of them already. To be honest, when I woke up this morning, all I wanted to do was crawl back in bed and hibernate till summer. That wasn’t an option, however, so I sat at my desk drinking coffee because I felt like I needed to keep myself warm and awake, even though the indoor temperature hadn’t changed.

Then I got a sudden impulse to go outside and walk in the rain around midday, for no apparent reason. It was so strong that I had already put on my coat and stepped outside before I started to wonder what the heck I was doing. The rain came down steadily as I walked across the grass, and my coat and shoes soon got very wet; but the birds were chirping enthusiastically, and the world felt full of life. Nothing had really changed—but all at once it felt very different.

Nurturing Thursday was started by Becca Givens and seeks to “give this planet a much needed shot of fun, support and positive energy.” Visit her site to find more Nurturing Thursday posts and a list of frequent contributors.