The rain fell softly outside my window. I was sitting on my rundown wooden chair with a beautiful mess in front of me. I was at my favorite place in the world: my desk. Surrounded by all my thoughts on canvas and my assortment of tubes filled with colors that splashed on the white surface in a stroking motion.

The only place I can fully be myself.

The world felt heavy on my shoulders lately, bringing my bubbly self to be even more carbonated to hide what was underneath all the fizz. The slump of the century was giving me no hope for the future. I had no idea what I wanted to do or where I wanted to go in the upcoming year of college that was looming over me.

I gathered all my stress in a tangled mess and let it unwind on the canvas. As the sound of the rain filled my head, I drifted into my painting….

The storm was wrecking my boat. I looked around frantically as the waves crashed over the edge. I spotted the steering wheel of the ship spinning uncontrollably. I ducked my head trying to keep my balance and ran over to it. I gripped on to the wet wood and yanked it to try and guide it straight. The wheel did not budge.

The waves were getting bigger now and I felt the spray of the salty ocean soak my face as I looked around. The blackness of the storm clouds surrounded me and they seemed to be closing in. I looked at the waves violently slamming into each other. The ship was rocking back and forth and I knew it was going to sink soon. I looked down at the ocean as I held on to the side railing. I realized I would have to jump off into the water and face the storm rather than wait for the ship to sink.

I took a deep breath, gathered my courage, closed my eyes, and took a leap of faith. I felt myself falling through the air for what seemed like eternity.

Suddenly, my body hit the water and I slipped through the disarray of the surface. I felt myself sinking fast so I moved my arms and legs in order to stay stationary in the underwater world. I opened my eyes and saw the peacefulness of the water that was below all the turmoil. I felt the slight current rush through my body and I felt content and safe. I had faced the storm and it ended surprisingly well. I looked up towards the surface and saw the reflection of the sun through the haziness.

The sun? I swam up and broke through the water. The storm was gone and the sun hit my face with rays of warmth. The waves around me were gently rolling as if they weren’t just thrashing together. The storm was gone in the blink of an eye. I bobbled on my back floating with face to the sun. I started to drift to sleep…

A crack of thunder brought me out of my daydream. I was back in my room at my desk.

Woah. That was freaky. It had felt so real.

Sitting there in awe, I began to think. The slump that I had been going through didn’t seem like the end of the world anymore. My day dream must have been a reassuring sign from God. A gentle reminder that my problems are little in the big scheme of things. I realized the rough times would come to be better and I would have to face my problems if I wanted that to happen.

I looked down at my canvas in front of me that suddenly was finished.

The painting of the ship on the calm sea now hangs proudly over my bed as a gentle reminder that there will always be sunshine after rain.