If you’ve ever lived through a drought you understand the strain that the lack of water puts on body and mind. Even if you have enough water to drink, your soul still aches for the smell and feel of rain.

And no matter how technically sophisticated and separated from the natural world you get, rain has a way of reminding you of just how dependent we really are on Nana’s gifts.

Being caught out in a storm can be a miserable experience.

Whether it’s snow blowing in your face, rain soaking your clothes or lightning chasing you down the hill, storms make you feel vulnerable.

But they also have a way of stripping the immediate world around down to its bare elements. And by wiping away all the normal clutter, storms make you focus on the here-and-now in a way that few other things in life do.

So next time you’re stuck out in a storm, in between the complaining and griping, take a moment to look around and recognize the different view of the world they provide.