The Times Herald (Norristown, PA)
Spot of T: Rainbow connection
What is it about rainbows that can bring an instant smile to our faces, often inspiring songs and paintings, and that sends people clamoring for their cellphones and cameras in hopes of capturing the beauty of the moment?
Is it just the fact that they are indeed beautiful, their bright colors resplendent against an oftendarkened sky? What is the attraction?
I believe that the best part of a rainbow is that is usually follows a difficult time, a storm. It signifies that things are looking up, literally.
After rain and thunder and lightning, many times as the sun starts to break through the clouds, you will catch the colorful arc in the sky.
Rainbows are everywhere. As I was thinking of my topic for this week’s article, I was literally surrounded by rainbows, in all shapes and forms: a child’s song, a painting, T-shirts, in the news these days, and I was even asked to make a rainbow birthday cake for my granddaughter!
I also came across rainbows being referenced in the Bible, in Genesis 9:13: “I have set my rainbow in the clouds, and it will be the sign of the covenant between me and the earth.”
But more impressive for me are the rainbows that have been present of late in the sky, following some quick-moving and powerful summer storms. I choose to take this as a sign of hope in a troubled world. There will always be rainbows, no matter how overwhelming the storms that surround us.
If you think about a rainbow, the structure, the image, you likely know that it is formed by droplets of water, and through reflection, refraction and dispersion of light, ultimately you see the full spectrum in all its multicolored splendor.
This parade of colors, which includes red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo and violet, seem to form a bridge across the sky, a path to better times.
The proverbial pot of gold, associated with rainbows in Irish lore, has become the subject of many songs, books and film. It has come to symbolize the prizes which await us if we are patient enough to weather our personal storms.
What strikes me about rainbows is the harmony. Each color blends into the next in perfection. Each color is important. It takes all those colors to make a complete rainbow, and all colors matter. None is more or less important than the others. All are vital to the wholeness of the rainbow, and all are beautiful. I wonder, can we learn a thing or two from this marvel of nature?
Things are certainly challenging these days. It is easy to be disheartened and want to shut down from the outside world. My advice is to build your rainbow. Perhaps simple acts of kindness, extensions of generosity and simply trying to understand someone else’s point of view can all contribute to building your rainbow and ultimately finding your pot of gold in the end.
If we can all work together, what a wonderful world it would be. Next time you see a rainbow, remember the promise of better times and smile. It’s the first step toward building your own rainbow.
Terry Alburger is the life engagement coordinator at Brittany Pointe Estates in Lansdale, Montgomery County.