There was a downpour as baby girl and I were leaving to pick up the little guy at school today. A break when we walked into the school. Another downpour when the three of us walked back out to the car. Needless to say, we all needed dry clothes (at least pants) once we got home.

It’s calm here now, but I have kept my eye on the radar online.

Having grown up in Colorado where severe thunderstorms were the norm many afternoons during the spring and into the summer I know my way around a thunderstorm warning.

I hate thunderstorms.

I was so excited to move somewhere where it rains, but without thunder, lightning and tornadoes.

I was so afraid of thunderstorms that I would literally hide in a dark, windowless room until they were over…sometimes for hours. Usually snuggled up with a dog.

When I went on antidepressants in 2003 my fear started going away. My thunderstorm anxiety was not the reason for going on the magic pills, but I must say not having to hide in a dark room when the storms rolled in was a nice side effect. It must have been some of the anti-anxiety magic in those pills. It was awesome to not be afraid of the storms when they came. I could actually function.

In 2005 I stopped taking the antidepressants.

In 2006 we moved to Oregon.

We occasionally have a thunderstorm, but it’s usually no big deal.

Today, the radar is telling me it could be different. I’m not a meteorologist, but I do know how to read a radar. There’s a lot of red coming our way.

The little guy told me today that he hopes there is not any lightning or thunder. It’s hard to be brave for the kids when I really hope that there isn’t lightning or thunder, too.

I’ll let you know if we get any.

Stay tuned…

home is…wishing I had the anti-anxiety magic in those pills.