December 12, 2011: I was driving home from work. It was hazy outside, and there was rain in the area. I looked to my left and saw a rainbow, faded slightly by the haze…and the coolest thing happened. I put on my sunglasses, looked again, and I could see it better than without them! I thought about that for a second, took the shades off, looked, put them back on, and looked again, with the same results. Little did I know that moment in time would be on my mind throughout the rest of the month.
It seemed odd to me that I would have to put on the sunglasses, thus darkening my view, in order to see the rainbow clearer. As I thought about it, I also considered the best times to see the brightness of a rainbow is when the dark clouds are surrounding it. Food for thought?
Sean and I began to go through trials and situations far beyond our control, literally starting the very hour I saw the rainbow. In our struggles, my mind has constantly gone back to that moment, and how I had to cover my eyes in order to see better…what irony. This is a time in our lives that seems dark, and at times almost unbearable. I have been reminded several times by people close to me, wonderful people, that this is the starting point of great things for Sean and I, and to remember the light at the end of the tunnel.
I’m glad I saw the rainbow the way I did that day. I know now that we had to go through darkness to see the bright future ahead for us, and to take the steps to get there. They say what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger, and absence makes the heart grow fonder…I may not feel very strong right now, in fact I feel like the weakest link in the chain. As for the absence comment…I didn’t realize I could love someone more than I already did…but I can and I do, more and more every day. I look forward to the future with this amazing man that I love SO MUCH!! We’ve had a year unlike any other year I’ve experienced, yet through it all we have held strong together, supporting each other, and have grown closer and closer in everything we’ve been through.
Even though I am thankful for the things we have been through, the rainbows we’ve seen through the darkness, and the tunnels we’ve gone through to get to the light at the end…I’m ready to stand in the sunshine for a while…stay out of the rain, not enter another tunnel for a while, and enjoy the breeze on the mountaintop, just basking in the peace with the man I love beside me, holding me just because we want to hold each other, not because we “need” to. (sigh)
