A Meeting, an Umbrella, and the Rhythm of the Rain
There's something kind of cool about sticking to plans when the weather is totally against you. This morning, the sky was just gray, and rain kept hitting my window. My first thought was to text, Can we do this later? But the meeting mattered, so I sighed, put on my waterproof boots, and grabbed my umbrella.
As soon as I walked out, everything looked different. The city noise was softer because of the rain. My umbrella felt like a shield, making a small, dry space just for me. Walking in the rain with an umbrella is sort of peaceful. You're in your own quiet spot, with the rain above you making a chill sound. I started seeing things I usually miss: rain on a fence, bright leaves, and cool reflections in the puddles.
I got to the coffee shop a bit early; my colleague wasn't there yet. I closed my umbrella and watched the rain for a second. When she showed up, shaking off her umbrella and laughing, we clicked right away—like pals who had survived the storm. We sat by the window, ordered coffee, and talked while watching the rain on the glass.
And guess what? The meeting was better than usual. It felt cozier and more focused. Because of the gross weather, our spot felt safer . No one walked by to distract us, and we didn't want to run off to do something else. We were settled in, making our world just our table, our warm drinks, and the fact that we'd both gotten there despite the rain.
On my way back, it was only drizzling. I didn't even bother with my umbrella and just let the mist hit my face. It made me wonder about all the good things we miss when we only do things if the weather is great. That walk in the rain wasn't annoying; it was nice. The meeting wasn't just another thing on my schedule; it was something special we shared, even if it was a bit wet.
Sometimes, you feel warmth and friendship better when you've walked through the cold rain to find them. I'm happy I didn't cancel my meeting. I would have missed the whole meeting.