Over the past week, it has been raining quite a lot where I live. Many people I know get bummed out by the clouds, gloom, and colder temperatures that usually come with rainy days. I, however, love the rainy days.

Sometimes it's reading a book by an open window with a cup of tea. Sometimes it's listening to Ray Lamontagne and working on projects that need to get done. Something about the rain makes me feel both relaxed and productive, but for so many of my peers, that isn't true.

For many people, rainy days breed lethargy, sleepiness, and boredom. To them, every rainy day feels like wasted time that could be spent in the sunshine. Here's the thing about rain and sunshine, the Earth actually needs both of them to survive. Without the sun there is no photosynthesis, but the same goes for water.

The thing about rainy days is that they are what you make of them. You can choose to spend a rainy day moping around your house and watching random crap on television, or you can choose to make the most of it. You can choose to soak it all in.

As Vivian Greene said, "life isn't about waiting for the storm to pass...It's about learning to dance in the rain."

Think about when you were a kid, you probably had a little raincoat and some boots that went up to your knees. If you were anything like me, you would run in circles around your parents and splash in the deepest puddles you could find. You didn't care if you got muddy or soaked with rainwater, you just wanted to jump in puddles and look at your reflection.

As I got older, the appeal of jumping puddles went away. That is, until high school. One day I was out on my front lawn, completely barefoot, practicing a routine for my Ballet class. That is when the skies opened up and it started pouring, but I just didn't stop dancing. By the time I went inside, my clothes were completely soaked through and I was covered in mud.

It was the most fun I had had in a long time.

Now, I'm not saying I don't love a good rainy-day movie marathon, I'm just saying that there's way more to a rainy day than sitting inside and feeling moody. As long as there are no safety hazards like lightning or forceful winds, there's no real reason to stay inside.

If you've never danced in the rain, I have a suggestion. The next time you find yourself in a rainstorm, I want you to get off the couch, go outside barefoot, and dance in the rain. Do it by yourself, do it with your friends, I don't care. Just make sure you do it.

Scream songs at the top of your lungs, splash in the puddles, slide across the grass, and dance like nobody is watching. Just let loose a little, you deserve it.