There's something enchanting and fleeting about catching a rainbow. They don't last long and are hard to predict. It's a little surprise that makes everything brighter and everyone stand back and say "Ohhh and Ahhh".
Since moving to Mexico, I can't remember the last time I saw a rainbow. It really does feel magical when one appears which is why sitting in the Banff Hotel last week and looking out the window, I jumped up and yelled "Whoa, there's a rainbow!" and we all ran outside to capture the moment.
Rainbows are unpredictable. You usually need a storm and the perfect conditions to make one appear. Cultures over the years have had legends and myths about the magic that a rainbow brings to life.
Rainbows can also be a promise. A promise of a better day or a better future. A rainbow is a hopeful sign that out of the storm something beautiful emerges.
Going through life, I lean towards planning things out, being systematic through the stories and trying to control or predict the outcome of one decision or another.
Yet I'm continually reminded that life is messy. We keep growing and working towards a better future even when current circumstances aren't ideal. I think of my own year with tumultuous job changes that I couldn't control or predict. I'm reminded of so many friends going through tough break-ups and climbing back up out of the hurt. Or friends who have experienced great loss.
Life is hard. Life doesn't follow our plans. We also can't just cruise through this life on auto-pilot, because sooner or later we're gonna realize that years have gone by and we no longer know who we are or what we want.
A bit mesmerized by rainbows after our recent viewing of this natural phenomena in Banff, I found the most interesting and crazy fact, from an article posted by the Today Show.
No two people see exactly the same rainbow, even if they’re standing next to each other, the few inches between your eyes make a difference in what you are viewing - Adrienne Mand Lewin
I love that. A reminder that even though we often are looking at the same thing or even going through similar confusion, it may look different to you or I. It could be the slight difference that your attitude plays as life throws curveballs your way.
Spending time in Banff and Canmore this last week was not only beautiful being surrounded by mountains galore and nature unending, it was a reminder that there are times in life that we don't understand.
There are rainy moments and storms, but I believe the promise of a better day is on the horizon. We may just have to wear different lenses to appreciate the serendipity life can bring us instead of focusing on the negativity that may take precedence when dealing with problems in our life.
We may not know when things will turn or look up, but we can be pleasantly surprised along the way as we keep going. We can make connections with others, we can learn from each other and hopefully we can lighten the load of one another along the way.
So here's to appreciating the storms and trusting that eventually, the sun is going to break through.
And if we're lucky, we'll get to see some rainbows along the way.
Comments