Hot weather can be so miserable. The dry heat that causes sweat, critters nipping and hovering around the body, and the agitation associated with a Mississippi summer can make sports difficult to enjoy.

This is why the rain outs associated with early spring season sports are a necessary evil. It provides a blanket of breezy and refreshing spirits in the air before the scorching hot temperatures resurface.

Unlike the cool weather that comes with watching Friday night football games or the beneficial accommodations of playing under a roof with basketball, the heat is just something spectators have to deal with.

But that doesn’t mean the relief should be frowned upon. Nothing in this world has grown into existence without the presence of water. If the climate were continually dry in the spring, it would make growing plants difficult and, through a series of unfortunate events, could affect ecosystems and environments.

Early rain outs could be taken metaphorically to bring in the new season.

Every day, people use soap and water to scrub any remnants of dirt or the feeling of being unclean from them and emerge as a fresh and new representation. The same logic applies to this metaphor.

Think of rain as the globally dependent shower to wash away any unclean feelings or uncertain aspects of a previous game or absence from the sport. It signals the start of a new season and marks a new beginning.

As the mud and deposits ride the tide of dirt into sewers, a new foundation will rise in place as a stronger, more beautiful replacement.

While it is a nuisance to miss out on a game or attempt to reschedule the event, for that reason rain outs are a terrible occurrence and a pain to deal with. It can stunt the growth and development of a team’s progress and probably hurts its overall record when gearing up for the playoffs.

It’s also understandable why people dislike rain delays because of the maintenance required to restore a field. Dealing with wet clay and grass, which then proceeds into mud, and waiting for the field to dry out before restoration efforts can begin takes a lot of enthusiasm and tenacity to maintain its upkeep. Even if those efforts result in an attractive shade of green and healthier grass.

Water is an abundant compound of which Earth and humans couldn’t survive without. It replenishes damaged grounds and refreshes the soil to become fertile once again.

During the next rained out game, I challenge those to admire the raindrops for its beauty and witness the planet’s natural cycle of cleansing.

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Alex Swatson is a staff writer for The Vicksburg Post. You may reach her at alex.swatson@vicksburgpost.com.