Long ago, I read a Gujarati novel whose name I don’t remember, but the ending stayed with me.
It was a story about rains, drought, and the fragile balance between faith and superstition. In the end, when the sky poured and the sun shone at the same time, someone asked the village chief, “Is it raining or is it sunny?” Blinded by the sunlight, he said, “Sunny.” And the rains stopped.
That moment stayed in my heart. I learned something from it that I have never forgotten. Whenever someone asks if it is sunny or raining, always say it is raining.
I never knew why it touched me so deeply. Maybe because I grew up in a land where rain means life. Or maybe because I simply love the rain. I have always felt calm and alive when the sky is heavy with clouds.
But maybe it means more.
Maybe it is a story about faith and ego. The chief, blinded by the sun, chose pride over trust. Sometimes we do that too. When we try to control everything, we stop the very blessings that could have healed us.
Or maybe it is about emotion and reason. The sun shines bright, but rain nourishes. We often chase clarity and success, but forget to make space for our feelings. To say “raining” is to accept our softness, our humanity.
It could also be about duality. Life is not only sunshine or only rain. Joy and pain often come together, and when they do, something beautiful, like a rainbow, appears.
Or maybe it is about how we see things. The chief could not see the rain because his eyes were full of light. We too sometimes get blinded by our own certainty, forgetting that truth is often felt, not seen.
Or maybe, it is simply about gratitude. To be thankful for the rain even when the sun shines. To remember that rain feeds the earth.
Whatever it means, it stayed with me. Today, when my father said, “It’s sunny and raining,” the words slipped out of me without thought. “Always say it’s raining,” I said.
And maybe that has become my quiet life philosophy.
When faced with both joy and sorrow, choose to honor the one that sustains life, not just the one that dazzles the eyes.
When you have to pick between being right and being kind, choose to rain.
When things are uncertain, respond as if nourishment is possible. That is faith.
Always choose the response that brings life, not the one that dries it out.
Because sometimes, when both light and darkness visit together, when life gives you both comfort and challenge, the only wise thing to do is to welcome the rain.
Always say it’s raining. It is a philosophy of faith — to choose nourishment over illusion, humility over control, and gratitude over pride.
