<small>Stop and use this page as a prompt if you wish, or continue on from here. Or you could [[a mind to meander|go back to where the river begins]].</small> <hr> I have been craving happiness; I have spent too long being sad. Bright spotlights shine from above me, interrupting my thoughts. As I look up, I see the most beautiful night sky. My heart melts. My toes curl. My eyes widen. The millions of different shapes of cloud in the sky. I was always a nerd for astronomy and all things that come along with it. It is the most beautiful sight; [[something my young eyes have never seen before]]. Night skies where there is nothing in the sky but the small stars surrounding the clouds that look like they would feel like cotton candy have always been my most favorite thing I have ever laid eyes on. The more I look at this view, the more I believe this is [[my exact reason I am still alive]]. This is my healing. This is my happiness. This is my world. The loud thunder rumbling the house and the rain slamming down on the windows start to give me anxiety. The dog sitting right next to me, ears start to lift, hearing the [[noises of the storm]] happening outside. I alway enjoy these types of storms at night. The sounds happening outside makes me fall into a faster and deeper sleep. Except, it is not night—it is early morning. I am thinking of how happy rain makes me. It gives me so much serotonin, especially when it is night time, which is my favorite. I love watching the rain fall onto the ground and hearing the sounds of the water droplets pour onto the roof above me. I am thinking about the quote, “no rain, no flowers.” If there is no rain, then no flowers will be able to grow. This is [[a quote that I keep in the back of my mind]] when things get hard or I am having a rough day. No flowers can grow without water. You cannot grow without bad days. Instead, you learn from them and grow from them. This is why rain is my favorite. I see so much more than just water pouring down from the clouds. I see happiness and growth. > – TaylorZbichorski