"You may not control all the events that happen to you, but you can decide not to be reduced by them. Try to be a rainbow in someone else's cloud. Do not complain. Make every effort to change the things you do not like. If you cannot make a change, change the way you have been thinking. You might find a new solution."
Maya Angelou
When I saw a double rainbow in the sky the other week while walking in our lovely neighborhood, I tried to capture it with my phone camera. And while it is a fun thing to try to photograph, the picture can be a bit underwhelming. Unfortunately, a quick snap shot does not really do it justice. Standing in its colorful presence and taking an intentional pause to experience its beauty is what feels emotionally uplifting.
While walking, I became aware of other neighbors who were both on foot as well as those stepping out of their homes to take pictures with their cell phones. It gave us the opportunity to talk about the beauty of its presence over our houses. The rainbow faded after a few minutes, but we all kept looking up and telling others to do the same. In some ways, it seemed as if no one had ever seen one before.
In our world today so fraught with dissension, impatience, intolerance, and just plain meanness, let us try to be that beautiful rainbow in someone else's life because we all need to feel hope after the storm.
