It was a beautiful, rainy Saturday evening as I walked back from the tennis court to the hostel. As I passed by the deserted Employee Care Centre (ECC) in November, the novelty of rain in this typically dry month struck me. As I neared the swimming pool, a cheerful voice caught my attention. Pausing, I looked at the dancing water and felt a connection. "Each drop in the pool seems to be dancing and celebrating this beautiful rain," I mused.
Me: "Hey there, pool water. Even though you're already wet, you seem to be enjoying the rain too."
Pool Water: "Absolutely! We're enjoying it just as much as you are."
Me: "But for us humans, rain is special."It symbolizes the changing seasons. After the summer's heat, rain quenches our dry feelings and revitalizes our goals."
Suddenly, a nearby green plant chimed into our conversation.
Plant: "Hey there, we plants love the rain too!"It's our only way to truly bathe."
Me: "But the gardener waters you regularly, doesn't he?"
Plant: "Exactly! There's a difference between the water we drink and the water we bathe in, just like there is for you. The gardener's water satisfies our thirst, but it doesn't give the same sense of joy and refreshment you get from a warm shower in the winter or a dip in the pool on a hot summer day. You see, rain is our natural shower."
Me: "Ah, I see your point."
After the plant's insightful reply, I turned back to the pool water, which seemed blissfully unaware of anything beyond its playful dance in the rain, like a young boy experiencing his first (innocent) kiss.
Me: "Hey, you still haven't answered my question."
Pool Water: "Are you going to let me enjoy this peace, or will you keep talking?"
Me: "Not a chance!" (with a smile)
Pool Water: "Alright, alright. Listen... Have you ever played with a child?"
Me: "Of course, many times!"Why?"
Pool water: "How does it make you feel?"
Me: "It's a beautiful experience. They have such a pure connection with nature, like little pieces of God's joy."
Pool Water: "And are you in that same pure state, like God created you?"
Me: (hesitating) "Well, no, not really."
Pool Water: "Why not?"
Me: "Our thoughts, our surroundings, and other people's perceptions constantly influence us. Our own view of the world changes as we grow up."
Pool Water: "Exactly. You humans take us from our natural state, purify us with chlorine, and turn us into this artificial form. In a way, it's similar to how your thoughts and beliefs can distort your true nature."
A thoughtful silence followed.
Pool Water: "So, the reason you feel happy and pure around children is that you're reconnecting with your original state—one that's divine, joyful, and peaceful. Rain gives us the same opportunity to reconnect with our essence—pure, natural water. That's why we feel joyful and alive during a downpour."
Me: "Wow, that's amazing! That's a deep thought."
Pool Water: "Clear now? Go and enjoy your life with the same enthusiasm as a child does. This moment is all we have. And... let me continue my romance with my love, the rain."
Me: "Alright, alright. Enjoy! "
DESSERT:
The first rain of the season is like the beginning of romance. When it happens, it satisfies an everlasting thirst for barren land. It exudes a scent of excitement and curiosity, leaving the marks of their marriage. When you get so excited in the rain, thinking of a partner and romance is the only thing left to do. 😍