By Mary O’KEEFE

I was planning on writing about a wonderful episode of “The Whole Story with Anderson Cooper” on CNN. The episode was titled “What Whales Tell Us” and it was so fascinating and I can so easily relate it to “Star Trek” but the rain has affected me in ways I am just not used to.

I know we need the rain. I know we especially need the snowfall. In the last five days [as of Wednesday press time], La Cañada Flintridge received 3.67 inches of rain. Overall, at the Burbank Bob Hope Airport, we have received 14.88 inches of rain since Oct. 1, which is the beginning of the measured water year. This is 5.85 inches above normal during this time. And as of Jan. 1, 2024, Burbank Airport received 12.23 inches, which is 6.51 inches over its normal rainfall at comparable times, according to Richard Thompson, meteorologist with NOAA.

So why am I so tired of the rain? I can’t walk my dog for one thing. He has so much fur that the water soaks right through him, even with his raincoat on. And when it stops raining for a few seconds and I run out for a quick walk, my precious dog comes back with mud on all of his paws. So I feel guilt every time I look at my pup and apologize.

But I think what really adds to my blue mood is this rainy election season. Sunlight helps regulate serotonin, which helps with our mood, and melatonin, which affects our sleep. I have written about SAD (seasonal affective disorder) in the past and how it can bring on depression. In addition, it affects sleeping and eating patterns. It can also bring us quickly, or quicker, to anger and can make our minds cloudy, according to multiple studies.

This could be why this specific political season seems even more difficult than those in the past. I am often asked why there is so much anger and in-your-face type of attitudes as we head to March 5. The answer is: I am not sure. There are some who seem to thrive in the chaos and anger lanes, perhaps because the louder they yell the less they really have to say … however we can probably all remember a time when this type of phenomenon occurred.

There seems to be a general exhaustion as well and I do think I know why that is … it seems this presidential election has been going since the last election. I don’t remember a day when I haven’t received some type of press release or email about the “upcoming 2024 election.”

The problem with this constant political stumping is we are just too darn tired to care by the time it gets down to local elections and those candidates we should be really looking at, those who will actually have a direct impact on our families’ lives. Then you add in the SAD affect and the feelings of exhaustion multiply.

I have always loved politics. My cousin worked for Senator Barry Goldwater and my mom was a conservative who ended up being a strong Hillary Clinton supporter and dad was a proud Irish Democrat. I loved sitting at the table and discussing politics with my family. Both sides of every single issue were presented.

Growing up in Iowa, the beginning of caucus season was so exciting; we would see and actually meet so many candidates – it was amazing. For me, the politicking was a time to hear future leaders of the country who cared about the U.S. I got to sit down with many of these candidates and have real conversations. No one yelled, no one called someone with whom they disagreed a bad name. Many of the candidates on opposite sides of the aisle would joke with each other. That’s not to say these people and their staff didn’t spin every story and every issue but even that was fascinating because almost everyone, at least in my hometown at the time, were educated on the issues and candidates and could see a spin a mile away.

But now we are facing a different political landscape. There is misinformation being shared, especially via social media, and a lot of people just don’t want to do the research to find the truth. Again, SAD can affect that. The skies are gray and so seems the future.

Here’s the silver lining though: it is almost over. This doesn’t mean the issues will be easier or, depending on the election results, we will not have more issues in the future; however, our vote will be counted and the election for several local offices will be done.

And the rain will stop, the sun will shine on the beautiful green hills and we will once again be able to take our dogs on long walks.

SAD is a real mental health issue. Anyone who may be struggling or in crisis can call or text 9-8-8 or chat 988lifeline.org or, if someone is concerned and may be suffering from SAD, mental health specialists are available. Visit http://tinyurl.com/5n7nbhhz for more information on SAD.

“Mental health problems don’t define who you are. They are something you experience. You walk in the rain and you feel the rain but, importantly, you are not the rain.” Matt Haig, writer

The rain will end and things are expected to be very nice with temperatures close to the 70s on Friday through the weekend; however, there is another storm off the coast. It does not appear the storm is quite as strong as the one that we just had, Thompson said.