Put a little rainbow in your life.

A stunning rainbow appeared at Dutch Lake yesterday.

The funny thing about rainbows is that it has to be raining for them to appear.  That, of course, is not strictly true.  If you have ever seen a rainbow in waterfall mist, when you are misting your garden, or even in the rare but wonderful sundog that occurs in conjunction with ice crystals in the upper atmosphere, then you know what I mean.  The commonality between all of these events is the presence of water in particulate form spread over a large area with the sun shining on it.

I find this to be an amazing metaphor for life.  Consider first the way that rain is often linked with sadness, depression, or melancholy.  As a Vancouverite (Lower-Mainlandite doesn't sound so great) I am accustomed to continuous unmerciful downpours.  There are many that are stricken with SAD (seasonal affective disorder), which is basically a condition where the only relief is a trip to the Caribbean where the sun isn't intimidated by continuous bands of thick, monotonous rain clouds.

The antithesis of rain is the sun; it is the sun that represents life and joy.  I am reminded of the George Harrison song, Here Comes the Sun, that suggests things will be better in a little while because the clouds are about to part.  So, consider this for a minute.  The sun is shining all the time, we just don't see it because of the presence of cloud cover.  Really then, it is not the presence of the sun that is at the heart of this, it is the absence of clouds that causes the sun to shine.

Bear with me a moment longer.  To wrap up the whole idea I am trying to present you have to put yourself in the middle of the Sahara Desert, where a cloudy day would be a welcome rarity.  As annoying as long stretches of cloud can be, imagine an endless cycle of sun exposure with no relief from its intense heat and carcinoma inducing radiation.

This is where the metaphor really kicks in.  While the sun is a welcome presence, too much causes us pain.  Clouds are associated with rain and depression, too much of which induces sadness.  The best is a combination of both.  When the sun shines and the clouds send forth rain, you get a rainbow.  Life would not be enjoyable with only the sun and would be equally dismal without it at all.  It is only when we have both when we can truly be happy.

So, when sad times are present recognize them as an important contributor to making rainbows.  Good times are not seen as good unless there is some sadness to compare them to.  Get through the pain, understanding that they are necessary for you to really appreciate the good in your life.  Rainbows will help you remember that.

Thanks for reading.   www.ericspix.com   Eric Svendsen