The Moments I’ve Seen on a Rainy Day

WORDS: JILL NICOLE SANTIAGO | FEBRUARY 5, 2024

I saw a woman inside my dark room.

She appeared to be upset as tears streamed down her sun-kissed cheeks. I attempted to dry it off, but the clouds must have felt her sadness and decided to cry with her. She sensed it as she stopped crying and made her way to her grimy window.

When she opened it, the earthy scent enveloped the small, messy space, and a fine mist mix through the stuffy air. It was the kind of weather she craved for a long time, but she stared at the rainwater like it was the first time she'd ever seen it.

I observed a cheerful child through the window.

They seemed to be looking forward to having the time of their life under the cold rain. To live in their little world where kids are just being kids. I can't help but remember my little self, dressed in my favorite Mickey Mouse pajamas, excited to play in the rain with my friends, without having to worry about anything.

The woman let out a heavy sigh. The pure scenario happened to be her favorite part of her childhood, but a flash of lightning cut her reminiscing about the flood of memories short.

I noticed a group of young, spirited people in my peripheral vision.

They're dancing to the music of rain. Isn’t it fascinating? It had always been on my wishlist to dance with my friends or my lover in the middle of the pouring rain. With the symphonies of wind and raindrops, it composed melodies of comfort and happiness.

The dance must have gushed the woman’s flowing desire to go outside as she walked her way in front of her wooden door. For a long time, she contemplated. Would she dance with the torrent of rain, or cover the shower of excitement with an old umbrella? A gust of wind gave her an answer.

I watched a person having fun alone in their garden from the front door.

I think they wanted to cleanse the cloudy and misty thoughts that were pouring into their mind as they were unbothered by the mud and rain on their body. Honestly, this wholesome act in front of me swept me away with an exhilarating sense of the rain's new purpose.

The woman realized that she is now sparkling with excitement to feel the rain because the cold water droplets could embrace her warmly with a dust of healing and solace; it was no longer just for fun and entertainment as she was as a child and teenager. And just like that… she began to play with the rain.

I stared at the same woman who was now reflected in the puddle of water.

The droplets of gentleness and beauty wiped off the dried tears of the painful wounds of the past. That’s when I knew I'd never stop being excited about the rain. It may come in various forms or intensities, but its heartwarming impact on me since I was a child never washed away.

The feeling was euphoria, just like what I remembered. The excitement remains to flow in my veins, the water twinkles in my eyes, the wind blows to embrace my soul, and the rain never ceases to fall in my thirsting heart.

I witnessed the most genuine moments of people with the rain, but I was also given the privilege to catch my own candid moments that soaked me with the flooding beauty and excitement of life in the midst of storms and roaring thunder. Now, I am excited for the next rainy day to come and watch with glittering eyes the moments that are to unfold.