I found myself stirring a spoon in a cup in the kitchen, trying to find the right amount of sugar. That’s when I realize—it’s just my body responding to the weather.
It’s now July in our country, and the rainy season has arrived. For those who love the cold, cloudy mood of this time, July is the friendliest month on the calendar. But wishing for rain isn’t always a gentle wish. Not everyone has the comfort of shelter when the downpour gets worse. Many delivery workers and laborers risk their safety just to continue serving. As we enjoy warm drinks and thick blankets, others sleep on soaked roads.
Rainy weather speaks differently to everyone. And my favorite part? How I always find myself walking along quiet town roads, looking for an open café in the middle of a drizzle. Yes, a café. It’s my natural response to seek out warm spaces during cold days—to sit, sip, and think. Cafés speak for me in the most poignant and grateful way, for they’ve saved me more times than I can count, especially during the years I was quietly hoping to grow.
So allow me to spill the tea: Here’s how cafés speak for me—in three honest ways.
Cafés Are Next to Churches
Café has saved me a lot as a college student and adult from the frustrations I encounter. From paperwork to endless responsibilities, the last response for me, as someone aiming to stay mentally healthy, is to accept the frustration and sit with it. And to tell you honestly, sitting with our emotions can vary depending on the place you spend the rest of the time in and the people you are with.
Usually, I let my emotions pass by talking to God inside our church and let Him make me understand what is happening. But when the church is too far from school, café saves me in the same way.
The peace and calmness whispering in cafés are not too far different from church. There is a sense of belonging with the aroma of tea/coffee and the pages of the books on a café table. It caresses my mind just as how church holds my face gently when something's wrong.
If you are asking where this sensation comes from, the idea of Ray Oldenburg, a sociologist, about “Third Places” can explain it gracefully. Third places are places that allow us to “just be” and encourage an environment that is empowering and peaceful. Cafés are considered third places, where visitors can gather and cherish time, leave temporarily the burden of work and responsibilities, and create a good connection with people to share meaningful conversations for a moment. The idea of third places—a place to just be—explains how cafés and their interior bring back the peace we are searching for after the frustrations we had to face. And it is the answer to why café is next to church—because both are places of comfort and belonging.
A Shelter from Rain and Judgement
I do not open café doors with trembling hands or an anxious face. In fact, I always get excited to visit a place again that saved me in many ways from frustration and problems, and a place that witnessed my little success in life. I feel comfortable sitting at a café table, with or without the company of someone, and just let myself flow and understand that I am someone who should be okay when alone. And the best thing is you don’t always need a reason to go there. You just have to go whenever you feel it and build connection to yourself.
My usual activities in a café are to read books and draw. By that movement of art, I find myself a shelter from all unnecessary distractions and emotional turmoil. To tell you, I always enjoy doing those things with myself, and the secret is to just focus on yourself and let everything flow around you. Good things will follow—so will the days.
Slowing Down Does Not Mean Getting Behind
A little patience for your coffee, a kindness in talking to strangers across tables, and the flip between the pages of a book are some of our best slow moments in a café. But does it mean we are behind?
In this fast-paced life, where everyone prefers doing things as quickly as possible, the choice to slow down is an underrated skill one can have. Slowing down doesn’t mean falling or getting behind in the race of life. It means catching up with ourselves... and that’s how café speaks for us. It allows us to pause with those sips of coffee, breathe deeper, and think peacefully. When we allow ourselves to do that, we make things clear and turn the worse into better.
Sometimes, it is important to catch up with ourselves rather than join the race of life for the most unnecessary reasons. The important thing is you are still familiar with yourself—and when success comes, you are not a stranger.
These reflections are a product of my experiences in visiting cafés. Ever so often, we stumble upon places that are simple but powerful, and that is what cafés have—just a simple interior and floating aromas, but enough to change our perspective in life. In a rainy afternoon, somewhere this year, may you find yourself in a place that speaks beautifully for you and the people around you. Just like cafés, it brings that possibility—the hope for
better and growing days.
You—what is your best café reflection?