Petrichor

def. - “a distinctive, earthy, usually pleasant odor that is associated with rainfall especially when following a warm, dry period”

Merriam-Webster Dictionary

It rained today in Cleveland. It has been warm and dry for too long (for my liking, at least), and today, the rain came pouring down. Just as soon as the rain began falling, it intensified to a deluge, slamming into the windshield, blurring the cars on the highway into a haze. It was as though the sky had been holding back weeks’ worth, even months’ worth of tears, and let them all out at once.

After the rain had slowed, the world seemed brighter, greener, more full of life. The subtle, earthy scent of petrichor rose to meet me and enveloped me as I said goodbye to my girlfriend, and later, my parents. These goodbyes were not nearly as long as they should have been. They were tinged with salt and sadness and anxiety.

I sit here in the airport gate, a half an hour before my flight boards, still sitting in the feelings of the farewells that I have given to everyone. I am remembering how one time, I was in the car with my mom, and I wondered why humans cry. A short google search later gave the answer:

We cry for each other.

We cry because we want others to see us cry. Crying shows our pain, our sadness, our struggles, our fears to each other so that we can respond to each other. Crying draws others into our emotions and lets them join us there. There is also another reason:

We cry to heal.

I can’t remember the website that I learned this from, but scientists have found that our tears contain a natural anesthetic. Our tears help to heal us, to help us to bear our own pain. By crying, we allow ourselves the capacity to heal from our hurt.

The scent of petrichor and the salt of tears surround me as I wait for boarding. They remind me not of the danger of the storm nor the pain of loss and separation, but of the scent so wondrous and mysterious and indescribable that people invented a word to describe it. I am reminded of the healing calm that washes over me after I have cried with those I love.

Next time it rains, do not curse it. Instead, take a moment to observe it, be with it, and when it has passed, smell the petrichor.