Rain (and friendship) on this side of the hill

Rain feels softer on this side of the hill, a refreshing pause rather than a full stop on the day’s agenda.

We, who don’t care too much about the way our hair looks or our style flows, can point our faces toward the rain and let it soothe our lines.

Rain sounds like peace, staccato notes underscoring moments of reflection and growth. 

It makes the grass especially green on this side of the hill, because we know for sure that life is really difficult and absolutely finite, so we have to carpe the diems as fiercely as we can. We’re really good at finding the honest joy over here, the bright laughter that bubbles up through even the grayest days.

Because friendship is easier now too, softer as well on this side of the hill, more patient and reliable in quiet ways we did not know we needed when we were young.

It’s there for us, though, like the sun on rainy days, ready with its light and warmth when we are lucky enough to bask in its glow.

I’m really grateful to live in a place that offers such a nice variety of seasons (even the challenging ones), and among people whose friendship knows no bounds.

I don’t always have time to hang out with my friends these days, so I am especially grateful when I can.
I’m grateful every day for all my friends — the ones who patiently wait for our schedules to align so we can have lunch together, the ones who walk with me for miles and miles, the ones who send me notes and comment so kindly on my posts, the ones who laugh at stories I know they’ve heard before, and the ones who are willing to walk out onto a tower that seems to go nowhere on a rainy day in Wisconsin.
This is my friend Hsing-Yi telling an animated story and kindly (and accidentally) providing some perspective of the size of this cliff on a rainy morning in Door County.
It was a nice day for ducks and anglers…and friends.
Here’s to friendship on this side of the hill — the ones in this picture and all the ones I appreciate immensely but didn’t photograph on the occasions of our equally precious time together.

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