Somewhere over the rainbow .……..
The Wizard of OZ
Across the water a bridge of colour arched. Hues of red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo and violet against a darkened sky. Sunlight attempting to break through clouds bursting to unburden themselves of their heavy load. Colours that reveal prisms of light, that herald hope of returning calm after the storms that seek to rage the skies.
Do you marvel at rainbows? I know I do.
A rainbow is a magnificent phenomenon of reflection, refraction and dispersion of light in water droplets, usually rain, resulting in a beautiful spectrum of light and colour appearing in the sky. Sometimes you may also see a rainbow near waterfalls or fountains.
Rainbows can be full circles. However, normally we only see an arc of beautiful colours, and if you’re really lucky you may even see a double rainbow!
Rainbows are steeped in mythology, from the Book of Genesis and the flood story of Noah to Norse mythology, where a rainbow bridge ‘Bifröst‘ connects the world of men and the realm of the gods at Asgard. Plus who can forget the Irish leprechaun‘s secret hiding place for his pot of gold said to be at the end of the rainbow?
Rainbows often leave us in awe at the beauty of nature. While out this weekend driving around a beautiful lake in Wales we were stopped in our tracks by a rainbow that was so close it felt like we could almost reach out and touch it. It arched from the dark waters to the shore, disappearing in the autumn kissed trees. It moved us both, as we watched it dance across the waters and we felt privileged to behold such a manifestation of beauty. As we drove home my mind drifted to what rainbows can reveal to us about ourselves, the human spirit and how each of us can celebrate our own uniqueness.
We often struggle to find our place in the world. At times we can also struggle to see and nurture our gifts and talents, or be the person we want to be. This can be due to a difficult upbringing, or the things we experience in life. These can sadly often inform who we become, our beliefs, our values and how we view the world, including those around us. Lost in trying to please others, to conform to others views or believing that we hold little worth can cause us to fade our spectrum of colours, dulling our light and covering our true nature.
Just like a rainbow we all have so many colours that grace our individuality. Maybe we are creative, able to cast from clay beautiful forms or form strokes of paint that create masterpieces of art. Maybe we have an analytical mind where numbers and facts have the ability to move us, guide us and prove the theories we seek to find. Some of us have the ability to offer ourselves to others, helping them find solace and healing. Others have inspiring words that guide the way, to support improving the world and lives of others.
The truth is we all have talents that we can grow but they need to be nurtured. Yet our environment, the company we keep, the beliefs we hold or self-sabotage can lead to the beauty of our colours never being seen. The colours of our rainbow are the many gifts we can share with others, a reflection of our inner qualities.
Rainbows herald forth out of dark, stormy skies, and so too when times are hard, when undergoing difficult times this is when we see the beauty of the human spirit. I have seen the beauty of many shine brightly when faced with the most challenging of situations. Love, justice, hope, compassion and empathy are just a few of the colours displayed in times of crisis.
Often however we fail to see this spectrum and dispersion of light and colour in ourselves and others. We can also doubt the impact that our stories can have on others. The things we experience in life add to our colours and when we share them, use them to help others, or to bring about change it is like a beautiful rainbow filling a dark sky, spreading hope and promise.
Rainbows also remind us of the diversity we see in others and ourselves. With openness we can embrace this spectrum of colour and show non judgemental regard for each other. This enriches our relationships, our experiences, indeed our very lives. We can learn so much from others, which in turn allows us to learn about ourselves. However, just like rainbows are hard to find we may need to search for the good in others. Being able to see the array of colours in the human spirit means that we enrich the world, help build better communities and lives for us all.
Life like a rainbow is full of colour. Our life can reflect the colours of our talents, our qualities and the diversity of our individuality. Even in challenging times can we find beauty. We can also see the beauty of others, if we seek to find it, the true treasures at the end of our rainbow.
So let your true colours be seen, let them offer hope in the dark skies of others, grow and nurture your talents and see the beauty in others. Who knows what you may find over the rainbow, where bluebirds fly.
