Dear Mother Nature:

In college, I used to fall asleep each evening to the sounds of pouring rain and crashing thunder from a Nature Sounds Thunderstorm CD. I would pop that CD into a boom box (I know! Remember those?) and before the one hour of recorded storms receded into a gentle pitter-pat of rain, I had fallen into a deep dreamfilled sleep.

This habit of listening to this each night was tremendously useful for many years – because when an actual storm did occur, I was able to sleep right through it. Other people would wake up from the jolts of thunder that would rip through an otherwise quiet night – but not me. Oh no, I was a smug little snot, “Oh really? There was a storm? Hmmm. I must have SLEPT RIGHT THROUGH IT.”

Yeah. Eating those words now.

Because I haven’t listened to that CD in years.

Last night’s storm? SCARED THE BEJEEZUS OUT OF ME.

I was awake for hours. Crashes of thunder shook the house and nearly constant flashes of lightning had me fixated on the tall trees that my next door neighbor has “fencing” his house in – I was waiting for the temperamental reach of lightning to knock one of those trees right into the side of my house.

Of course, that didn’t happen. Didn’t stop me from laying in bed thinking about it for ohhhh, an hour or two.

Today, Mother Nature, I am tired. The sun is shining and an amazing cool breeze blows through my window but my brain is like mush. I am too tired to enjoy this.

Sometimes you’re a big meanie.

Love,

Sarah

P.S. I’m also bloated, no thanks to you, but that’s another letter.

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