Giving Thanks: Rainy days and hot coffee

As a former rain critic and hater, I can officially say that people who dislike rain are in denial.

Yes, one can say that the gloomy sky, cold weather and lazy mood that comes with a rainy day can be unproductive. I agree with that fact as every time I see the rain, I feel the unrelenting need to make some coffee, wear some pajamas and fall asleep. Nevertheless, what I have eventually realized is that rainy days and a touch of coffee are a source of comfort and belonging. They are a sort of break in the loop, a change from living the same day again and create a space to ponder, remember and smile.

Something about the timelessness of the pitter-patter of rain hitting the windows and low rumbling clouds combined with a homemade oat milk latte and classical music will always make the simplest of activities feel purposeful. In contrast to quarantine, where I found rainy days as the most useless waste of a day and an excuse to not do any work (do not recommend by the way), I now like being inside, feeling like I belong in “Gilmore Girls” and use the time  as a break from stressing out.

Looking out the water-streaked windows now holds a place of memories for me, whether it is staying home in kindergarten because of a storm to sit on the couch of my childhood home while my mom reads my brother and I an encyclopedia (his choice not mine) or holding the memories of getting drenched, playing on the sidewalk with my friends in elementary school. It serves as a recollection of the past childhood comfort of the rain and reminds me that one day I’ll be looking back at this drizzling afternoon.

Whether it’s that I am usually sick when it comes to cold rainy days or because I’m simply looking to romanticize my life and an excuse to make coffee, it makes me rethink and slow down the stress that pressures me. And so this rainy Thanksgiving, alone in my room with a pile of homework by my side, I will be calculating the chance of rain with “Clair de Lune” on repeat and a latte in hand

Follow Aliza (@Aliza_ Abidi) and @CHSCampusNewon Twitter.