Monday, March 31, 2008

when souls share secrets

It's beautifully dreary out today. The clouds have been hanging around all day; first with the sweet scent of rain and then with wet kisses turned into showers. I've only been gone for a few days, yet the city is showing it's yellows and whites; it's pinks and reds. The wet releasing the brillance of the colors. There isn't anything I don't love about spring. Crisp mornings, warm afternoons. Budding trees, blooming flowers. An ever-lurking smell of rain. Newness.

I chose to sit by the big picture window facing the street in an establishment on a local strip in attempt to unbury myself from work. The more the rain pounded down, the harder it was to focus. People scurried down the street; some caught by surprise in the rain; others prepared with their umbrellas. No matter whether they had checked the forecast this morning, everyone was hastily making their way to the safety of their cars or shops.

Everyone, except for one man.

I watched as he exited the establishment in which I was sitting. He turned and came out from under the awning. It was as if, in that moment, he just realized that it was raining. As if it had been sunny and clear all day. He started to smile in secret. The kind that escapes when something touches your soul and nothing can keep your joy from surfacing. In the same moment, he caught me watching him from the window. I fought off the instinct to look away and flashed him a smile...the kind that said, "I know your secret." His smile grew as he lifted his arms to side and mouthed the words, "it's raining" in my direction.

As he sauntered away, he removed the striped cap that had been keeping his shaved head dry. I was left with a smile and the knowledge that somewhere in this city, there is a soul that relishes the days like these just as much as mine. And for one moment, our souls got to share the secret.

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