Sheryl Anne S. Lugtu
It is raining yet I do not feel irritated at all even though I left my umbrella at home. I love the rain and everything that comes with it… the petrichor, the puddles, and the soothing sound of the wind. I also love how the rain gives us this heartwarming sensation. As ironic as it is, the cold air and damp atmosphere brings back memories that we do cherish.
As a kid, the rain is my worst enemy. Living in a place near the Pasig River makes me feel so worried that the water will enter our house again. You see, I am no bourgeois. I spent my childhood in an old apartment with my mom and my grandma. Aside from the flood, what I hate the most about raining is the fact that my grandma and I could not sell Ice Candy. Well, it pays the bills.
Growing up, everything turned upside down. I enjoyed the rain especially, when I was in high school for my mom finally allowed me to take a bath in the rain. They are actually not being cruel. As a kid, I suffered broncho-pneumonia therefore, my immune system is kinda week. So, enough with the backstory… My friends (mostly boys) would dance with me in the rain as we shout so loud when it is pouring so hard. The only thing that I hate the most is lightning and thunder. And that, too, is the reason that I stopped playing in the rain.
After my mom and grandma died, the rain has been my room of solitude. It gives me this gloomy atmosphere that touches my then, empty soul. It is like all my happy memories of the rain were kept away…
But now, the rain makes me feel so calm. The rustling water makes me feel so peaceful and safe. The petrichor became such a sweet smell. But still, the lightning and thunder is non-negotiable… I still cannot appreciate it no matter how beautiful it could get from afar.
The point is that, our perspective of the rain may change as time passes by. It may irritate us, make us happy, or make us sad but one thing would never change… it always gives us a sensational feeling. Its symbolism may change through the years but one thing will remain constant… nostalgia.
Sheryl Anne S. Lugtu, LPT is a writer, journalist and a Literature teacher at the University of Perpetual Help System Dalta-Molino Campus.
The Elixir Magazine 