34 – Rainbows

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I like walking on the beach. It is good for the mind, body, and soul – and refreshing on my feet.

After a storm passed yesterday afternoon, a rainbow appeared. It’s a beautiful sight from the balcony high above and across the sand and water. Then it hit – there is the topic for the next walk.

Rainbows – that natural phenomena displaying the color spectrum in the sky. Yes – nature’s prism that grabs our attention before warming our heart.

Photo by Ben Mack on Pexels.com

Rainbows span the entire continuum of colors. Surely you remember ROY G BIV – a name I’ve used multiple times on these walks – a name that is a mnemonic device for remembering the order of the colors.

Rainbows remind us of our first glance at a box of new crayons.

Thinking about rainbows brings some words to mind – bright, brilliant, glowing, deep, radiant, rich, vibrant, and vivid – but certainly not garish or gaudy. To me, rainbows are not flashy – but eye-catching.

For us to see a rainbow, sun and water droplets are needed in the atmosphere. The components must be perfectly aligned and in the right amounts for the water droplets to refract, reflect, and disperse the light. But we also have to notice because if we don’t, we won’t see it’s beauty. I’m sure you have experienced the feeling of disappointment when answering “No” after someone asked if you saw a recent rainbow.

Rainbows can be a double. Compared to the first, the second is faint, and the colors are mirror-reversed. That is, red is on the outside of the first rainbow, but on the inside of the second. I’ve never seen a triple rainbow, but they happen.

Rainbows appear to us as an arc, yet they can be a full circle. When in Alaska years ago my wife took a plane ride around Mt. McKinley. Because this was in the days before digital I had to wait until developing the pictures before seeing the phenomenon she saw – not only a circle rainbow on the clouds below as she was flying high, but the plane’s shadow enclosed within the circle.

Photo by Ben Mack on Pexels.com

However, I did see miniature segmented rainbows in the low clouds at sunset during a visit to Zion National Park. Something hard to describe – therefore hard to imagine.

Rainbows are a flame of many colors – a visual treat delivering a message of dreams, optimism, hope, and joy – all aiming for a positive tomorrow through the special moment of now.

Rainbows cause us to stop, pause, and dream – even if it is just for a moment. Maybe one thinks about the pot of gold at the end – wondering if the leprechaun will be guarding.

Rainbows are a place – a magical place. That place in the sun gives us something we want to touch or even sit upon – even for just a moment.

Rainbows are all the colors embedded in the emotions within our heart, soul, and mind – in the colors of our many moods – calm, crazy, desire, fire, happy, passion, rage, and soft. Rainbows are the fantasies we hold, as well as the tears and fears. We love that aerial splash of color that suddenly and unexpectedly appears.

Life isn’t all sunshine – yet we chase rainbows. Whether realistic or not, they appeal to us – drawing us to something special – something gracious – uplifting -something touching our heart.

Life isn’t always innocent and simple – life has its difficult times. However, rainbows give us happiness and hope – a moment serving as a respite from the current trials and tribulations.

Photo by Matt Hardy on Pexels.com

Life is realistic – and not always dreamy. While some chase the dreams at the end of the rainbow, others say do not chase them because they are unrealistic – unattainable – unlikely to happen – but who does not look for something more?

A special song tells us that bluebirds fly, dreams that you dream, and a wish upon a star are somewhere over the rainbow – the place where I hear babies cry and I watch them grow.

Yes, I’m glad I saw yesterday’s rainbow because it allowed me to think about them today as I walk. Perfect for remembering that I like walking on the beach, which is good for the mind, body, and soul – and refreshing on my feet.

See what other bloggers have posted about rainbows

• Rainbow (photos)
• Rainbow Surprise (photos and explanation of something different)
• Butterflies and Rainbows (poem)
• Rainbows! (photos)
• In Everything There Is a Rainbow (essay and photos)

Next Post: Fog – Saturday 30 January @ 1 AM (Eastern US)

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