By: Martianne Stanger
One recent April day, life was not going so hot. In fact, it was downright challenging on so many fronts. And, to add insult to life’s injuries, the weather was gloomy as could be.
Then, all of the sudden, I heard shouting–shouting from children who had been acting with less-than-best behavior earlier in the day.
What is it now? I moaned to myself, wondering what I was going to be called to troubleshoot next. But, then, I realized the shouts were gleeful ones.
I went to the front door and saw that sun had broken through raindrops. Two of my children were racing up to the top of our street.
“Mommy, Mommy. There is a rainbow! There are two. C’mon. C’mon.”
They wanted to share the glory of it all with me.
I followed.
Steps ahead, I spied the most beautiful colors–colors which my camera just did not do justice to.
“Have you ever seen a rainbow so clear, Mommy?” bubbled one of my children.
“And, look, look there above it. You can barely see it, but there is another one.” (It could not be captured by the camera, but was captured by our eyes and sent joy right into our hearts.)
A double rainbow illuminated the sky, drawing joy across the day.
As we paused life to appreciate its beauty, neighbors came out on their stoop to see what the hullabaloo was about. They, too, stood in awe of the stunning stripes in the sky.
Then, another neighbor turned onto our street in his truck, slowed when he saw my children and I stepping further to the side of the road, rolled down his window, and inquired as to why we were standing there mouths agape.
We pointed out the rainbows, which he had not noticed when driving home, and he, too, stopped a moment to marvel at them.
Yes, there we were–my children and I, neighbors on a stoop, and a neighbor in a truck, tied together in an unexpected moment of delight as we gazed at a ribbon of color across the sky.
Sometimes, no matter how life is rolling along on a given day, it is worthwhile to change its course to chase rainbows–the literal ones like we saw these days, and the figurative ones that can just pop up out of nowhere and be noticed if you take a second to look around.
Is there beauty just waiting for you to see it right now? Go on, take a moment, chase it, then, pause, and let it overcome you.
Real rainbows may be rare, but blessings color each and every day of our lives.
Community Voices for Health 