By Jessica Domel

The way we Texans react to rainfall is amusing. My Twitter feed ranges from complaints about forgotten umbrellas, wet shoes and freshly-washed cars to heavenly praises, overwhelming gratitude and relief.

I see both sides of the coin. I don’t like having wet socks. I don’t like sporting the wet cat look at work because I forgot my umbrella. But I love rain. I love the way it smells when it hits farmland, the way it washes the dust off my truck and the way it replenishes the parched Texas soil.

You see, although rain can do things like prompt changes in holiday weekend plans, it also does something wonderful. It provides a necessary element to our food and fiber production. Without rain, dryland crops will fail to make a stand, will not reach their potential or will shrivel under the hot Texas sun.

Farmers and ranchers get that. I think many Texans, especially those with lawns and gardens they care about, also appreciate a good rain even though sometimes the rain falls at the worst possible time.

I remember many years when my grandpa would say the rain just didn’t come at the right time. Oftentimes, it meant he’d have to put off a project, find something to do inside or work through the rain. He never cursed the precipitation, though. He knew all too well that we needed it, our crops needed it and the livestock needed it.

I think that’s something we should all work to remember.

This past weekend, parched West Texas finally saw rainfall for the first time in months. I didn’t see a single person that I know from that area discourage the sight. Newspapers, TV stations and radio reporters alike covered the event.

We’ve reached the point where it’s so dry that rain makes the front page.

Unfortunately, although rain fell, it wasn’t enough to bust this drought we’re in. But it was enough to make us all remember how much we appreciate Mother Nature and the rain when it falls.

Sometimes we don’t miss something until it’s gone. I don’t know about you, but this week I’m going to appreciate any and all rain that comes our way.