December 10, 2023: Seeking Rainbows
The daily news seems to bring a seemingly endless onslaught of heart rendering events. From wars in Gaza and Ukraine, environmental disasters, the latest mass shootings, to the vitriol of politics and polarization of our country, many of us are left feeling anxious, helpless and worried about the future. While we don’t have control over the catastrophes we witness, we can take solace in lessons from nature. The darkest of nights is always followed by dawn. The harshest of winters are always followed by a season of new beginnings and rebirth. And after the wildest of storms, we can watch in awe and wonder as the shimmering arc of a rainbow blooms across the sky.
Scientifically, rainbows are a phenomena that occur when light from the sun is scattered (refracted) through water droplets, Across cultures, history, and religions, rainbows have been viewed as beautiful symbols for acceptance, celebration, hope, faith, love and joy.
Finding a rainbow amidst the storms of life, doesn’t just have to be the ones that appear in the sky. Rainbows can be those moments in your life that fill you with appreciation, gratitude and joy. Each one of us is unique, so those moments that resonate in our hearts, are as individual as we are. We just need to take the time to identify those moments that illuminate the sense of despair we have over the current catastrophes in our lives and in the world.
Simply ask yourself, “What are the rainbows that brighten and lighten my day”. It’s a deliberate way of changing our focus on the negative and opening our senses to the beauty of nature, blessings and gifts that surround us. It’s looking for acts of kindness that show us the good in others. And it’s rebuilding a badly needed sense of hope in a world that seems to have run amok. While we can’t change all the terrible things that happen, we can choose to focus on the positives. Like pebbles of compassion, faith and hope tossed into a pond, the ripples of positivity that are developed from finding rainbows, can flow out impacting not only our own lives, but to those around us as well.
Thank you for taking the time out of your busy life to read our blogpost. The following quotes, from sources that transcend cultures and time, inspire us to seek the positives and rainbows in life. We invite you to share your thoughts and/or this reflection with someone who might find it meaningful.
Wishing you days of rainbows without the storms.
Wendy Oellers-Fulmer
Inspirational Quotes
“Life throws challenges and every challenge comes with rainbows and lights to conquer it.”
– Amit Ray
“When thunderstorms roll in, you make a choice to either succumb with tears to the gloomy downpour, or smile and look for rainbows.”
– Richelle E. Goodrich
“Rainbows reminds us that even after the darkest clouds and the fiercest winds there is still beauty.”
– Katrina Mayer
“When it rains look for rainbows, when it’s dark look for stars.”
– Oscar Wilde
“Rainbows introduce us to reflections of different beautiful possibilities so we never forget that pain and grief are not the final options in life.”
– Aberjhani
“Stay positive! Rainbows often appear when you least expect them and need them most.”
– Jamie Worthington
“Life has a lot of grey and sadness, look for the rainbow and frame it.
There is beauty in everything, sometimes you just have to look a little harder to see it.”
– Charlotte Kitley
“Hope is a rainbow of thought.”
– Harley King
“Rainbows have a way of making the world seem right.”
– Anthony T. Hincks
