I remember a rainy day not too long ago when I was at my usual bus stop. An elderly man stood under the overhead of a gas station, finding a shelter from the rain. A minute later, he was standing in the rain without an umbrella. I shortened the distance that separated us, and offered my umbrella. He denied my offer and showed me his own umbrella, kept shut in his hand.
He told me something along the lines of,
“It nice to stand under the rain where there’s a pleasant drizzle. This kind of rain doesn’t happen too often. It feels really good, don’t you think? Thanks for your offer, you’re such a sweetheart.”
I then smiled and looked off into the distance, as if I was looking for the bus or watching cars splash into puddles.
I cannot help but think to this day that I missed an opportunity to have a great conversation with someone, like I always do. Silence is usually my own protective umbrella. Why am I so comforted by silence, I wonder?
He also made me question why we all hide from a little rain. Why do we distance ourselves from things that cannot hurt us, yet keep close in contact with things that do?
The next time you get a chance to just feel and enjoy the drizzle of rain, do it. I’ll do it with you. Unless it’s heavy rain. If that’s the case, hot cocoa in a cafe would be nice. Let’s not get sick. ♥
Periwinkle Raindrops and Puffs 