Journal #3 - The Skies

In the hustle and bustle of daily life, most of us are so absorbed in what’s in front of us that we forget to look up the skies every now and then. Then again, to most people, the skies are quite boring – after all, it’s just the hot sun and clouds, right? At night, we usually see the moon, more clouds, and sometimes a few stars. All in all, the skies seem pretty boring, right?

Wrong.

If you ask me, I strongly feel that the skies are fascinating, especially with the emotions that they convey. When it’s a bright, sunny day, the skies seem cheerful, with the sun doing all it can to warm the earth. It gets a little too enthusiastic sometimes, though! When it’s a rainy day, it feels as though the clouds themselves are weeping for some reason that we will never understand.

I personally love watching the rain, especially when it’s storming outside. I couldn’t possibly explain why, but there’s something about the barely-contained natural violence of a thunderstorm that appeals to me. It’s as though the gods themselves are releasing their wrath onto earth, as if we mere mortals are bearing witness to their anger.

If you watch the skies during a thunderstorm, you’ll find yourself momentarily blinded by the bolt of lightning that streaks across the sky, before the insistent growl of thunder reaches your ears. And if you happen to be caught in a storm, you’ll feel the icy fingers of the wind caressing your cheek and running through your hair. In my opinion, it’s a truly beautiful feeling. If I didn’t have to worry about catching a cold, I would probably head out to walk in the rain every time I heard the patter of raindrops hitting the pavement.

At night, the skies are peaceful, with a few clouds drifting by, and when the moon is visible, she fills the night air with her gentle tranquility and gracefulness. It’s a pity that the bright street lights in Singapore make it almost impossible to see the stars in the night sky – I had the chance to look at the stars when I was in Malaysia once and they were breathtakingly beautiful.

In all truth, I didn’t use to care much for the skies. Sure, the clouds were beautiful, and I’d always loved watching the rain, but I never really paid too much attention to the skies. That is, until someone important to me gave me these words of advice when I was in secondary three: "Whenever you're feeling down, remember to look at the sky." It may sound silly, but I held this person in such high regard that I took his words to heart.

Whenever I felt upset or felt like I was stressed beyond my limits, I would take a moment to gaze at the skies and clear my head. After a while, it became a habit, a form of stress release, even. After all, it didn’t matter what problems you had – they would always seem insignificant as long as you tilted your head back and stared at the vast skies above you. If you missed anyone, it was also comforting to look at the skies and remind yourself that no matter where they were, they would be under the same skies too.

Although this important person and I no longer keep in touch, I will always remember the advice he gave me. So pass this on to someone else, tell them to look at the skies whenever they feel upset or stressed. Because no matter what happens, the skies will always be there to offer some comfort.