I opened the weather app on my phone. There was no denying that the storm was coming. I refreshed the screen minute by minute, hour by hour for updates. The radar showed a real-time movement of green, yellow, and red coming our way. The lightning emoji declared certainty that the entire day would be filled with rain. I was weary from relentless Midwest summer storms. I desired to see and feel the sunshine, to get out of my house and breathe fresh air. Our Rudy had just been diagnosed with canine lymphoma, and I couldn't tolerate the storms any longer. My heart was heavy and the grief was thick. The combination of literal and metaphorical storms became all-consuming. I pleaded with the … [Read more...]