To the girl who hides under the umbrella when it rains:

You see me and you subconsciously question why I am not wearing make-up. You ask yourself why my somewhat messy hair is not straightened or curled and precisely pinned into place. You assume that I am having an "off" or "bad" day because I left my dorm without spending significant amounts of time in the mirror altering my appearance.

I see you and I subconsciously question why you put so much effort into covering up who you truly are. I commend you for how presentable and put together your hair looks. I assume you are having a wonderful day because you clearly had plenty of time to spare for putting your make up on.

The reality of the situation is not what you would expect, though.

The fact of the matter is that you are the one struggling to get through the day, hidden under your umbrella, while I am joyfully letting the rain hit my skin. The make-up that you have used to cover up your imperfections is ironically exactly what reveals part of who you are. It is not that I do not have imperfections, because we all do. It is more so the case that I do not let mine steal my time and energy.

I see the rain as a tool that is used to humble us. When it rains, our true emotions come out and our masks are washed away. When it rains, our natural hair is revealed and we have no choice but to embrace it. When it rains, our senses are refreshed and our surroundings are replenished. When it rains, our true selves are brought out and how we respond to that helps define part of who we are.

The person you become when it rains is who I want to see and know. The raw, unmasked, and genuine person that is revealed when the water pours is who I want to encounter. I challenge you to figure out, if you have not done so already, who you are when it rains. I challenge you to be the person you are when it rains, all the time.

So, who are you when it rains?