A Chaotic Morning Reflection: In Feeling the Rain

I really don’t know what was wrong with me this morning.

First off, when I finished boiling my eggs with my favorite electric boiler and was about to pour the hot water down the sink, I accidentally nudged it, spilling water on the floor. It took me quite a while to clean up since a lot of my stuff got wet.

It had been raining all morning. After closing my boarding house’s gate, I sprayed hand sanitizer on my hands, as usual. Just as I was about to put it back in my bag, the umbrella I had prepared fell down. It got quite dirty all over. Well.

I continued my morning walk after that. Halfway to the bus stop, I realized something was missing. With how hectic the morning had been, I... forgot to wear a mask. It was a little hard to find one in my bag, given how many things I’d been carrying. I had to put the umbrella aside for a while and got drenched in the rain.

Before I left the house, I had folded the bottom of my trousers so they wouldn’t get soaked by puddles. A few steps later, however, the folds were gone. My trousers united with the rainwater—gloriously.

I called my boyfriend to vent about how chaotic my morning had been. He gently advised me not to let the bad things ruin the day ahead. “Just take a moment,” he texted me after we ended the call.

After inhale-exhale breathing like a yoga pro, I realized that it was still a beautiful morning regardless of how the day had started. I noticed all the passersby walking under different colorful umbrellas, the taste of fresh air amidst the thick drizzle, and a shiny traffic light contrasting with the chilly, overcast sky. The city looked dimly beautiful, almost like it was color-graded to fit a certain vibe.

Today, I’m reminded once again that even if things started out badly, those moments didn’t represent you—or your day—as a whole. Breathe in, breathe out, and let’s see the good in the small things. Like how the semi-dark sky seems to promise impending rain, but I choose to enjoy a bowl of hot, delicious laksa noodles.