Shelter in the Storm

I spent twenty minutes this morning trying to find my keys, only to realize I had left them in the front door lock all night. It was raining hard, a steady, grey downpour that made the world outside look like a watercolor painting left out in the yard. I stood by the window for a long time, watching people dash toward the subway with their coats pulled over their heads. It is strange how we treat rain like an enemy, something to be dodged or outrun. We spend so much energy trying to stay dry, trying to keep our own little worlds sealed off from the elements. But there is a quiet strength in those who don’t run. I wonder if we are missing the point of the storm by always looking for cover. Is it possible to find a kind of peace in the middle of the downpour, rather than just waiting for it to pass?

Arif Hossain Sayeed has captured this exact feeling of resilience in his beautiful image titled Umbrella Vendor. It is a reminder that even in the heaviest rain, there is a way to stand tall. Does this scene make you want to run for cover, or does it make you want to stand still for a moment?