It is a rainy day here in LA and for us, that is a good thing.  We don't get a lot of rain and this past year was particularly dry.  I like to think about the rain as a time when old things get washed away --- sometimes figuratively and sometimes literally.  It reminds me of the impermanence of everything.  It reminds me that we all need watering from time to time and that it is good to receive a good soaking.  And, mostly, it reminds me that when the sun comes back out, everything grows a little bit faster.