Chasing Rainbows

Rainbows are perhaps one of the most magical things we can find in our world- appearing literally out of darkness and rain.  Since my Mom's passing- rainbows have found us in our hardest moments- when we least expect them but when we need them most. On the rare day they appear it almost feels like she has made them just for us.

As week six began I would never have predicted that in the wee hours of Tuesday morning, our very small new normal would shrink further as my husband awoke vomiting and sick.  He was isolated immediately so we could be certain the virus we so desperately tried to avoid had not in
fact found its way in to our safe space.

We have not left our property since March 12th and we have not allowed anyone in our home. Only packages and grocery deliveries are brought in with extreme caution- a routine now familiar to us all. Even now it seems impossible to understand how he got sick. Our best guess is something he ate was bad.

On Tuesday morning, when this all began I was unhinged. We have gone to such tremendous lengths in order to stay safe and yet this proves you can’t ever remove your vulnerability completely.

By dinner on Tuesday the reality of what the next five days would look like overwhelmed me. Working full time, teaching kindergarten  and now taking care of all house things and the people in the house without help-it felt nearly impossible. On the verge of tears - from exhaustion and anxiety that we would all soon be sick -a text from a dear friend pops up-”There’s a rainbow!”

In seconds my son and I were running out the door- as my son found the rainbow his screams echoed in the neighborhood- "Finally there is joy in this day!"  As I blinked away tears -watching the rainbow push through the dark cloud- I knew we both felt its magic- easing our stress and anxiety and leaving us confident that we would get through the next few days. Thankfully, I can now say we have as today we found out that my husband’s COVID-19 test was negative.

This week reminds me, that in this great pause, there will be impossibly hard moments for each of us - but don’t forget to look for the magic around you. Chase your rainbows, feel the sun’s warmth- listen to the quiet songs of birds each morning. I know for sure, that if you look for it you will find the light shining through the darkness and it will help carry us all through these challenging times.