After a long, harsh Maine winter, most people welcome a bit of rain. Spring showers usher in green grass and flowering buds and leave everything fresh, new, and clean. Yet when showers yield to cold and unremitting rain, as has been the case in Southern Maine in recent weeks, it can dampen one’s spirit. We need the sun to brighten and renew ourselves after a cold, long winter.
May 2nd seemed like so many other recent days. Though the calendar said “spring,” a raw and continuous rain dashed any hope of completely shaking off winter. As I arrived early at a local library to prepare for an author talk I would be giving that evening, the sun broke through the clouds. After unloading my books and presentation materials and with a bit of time to spare, I found myself a spot on an outdoor bench and took a few moments to soak up the warmth of the sun.
The talk went well; a full house with an engaged audience. I was pleased. With the event over, a good friend—one I had not seen in many years—helped me carry my supplies back to my car. We stood on the sidewalk in an impossible (but wonderful) attempt to catch up on too much time passed, as heavy drops of rain spilled from darkened clouds.
Turning together to seek a sheltered place where we might continue our conversation, a colorful apparition appeared in the sky: the most brilliant double rainbow. All around us, people stopped on the street to look up and admire the magnificent and awe-inspiring sight. I did what comes naturally to me; I grabbed my camera and began to shoot as the utter beauty of the moment held everyone around me captive.
Eventually, the rainbow faded and my friend and I parted ways. I felt blessed to have shared the moment with my old friend. Later that evening, I checked my messages and there was this:
“Sometimes the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow is simply reconnecting with a dear friend.”
The day had been a gift to me in many ways. Whatever may lie at the end of your rainbow, it is bound to delight and surprise. And the one thing I’m sure of? It will be worth immeasurably more than any pot of gold.