Rainbows Where You Least Expect Them

I sit in my favorite spot every morning: on the love seat, next to the end table with stacks of books, photographs, a cup of pens and pencils, and my tea.

One morning, lost in thought, I glanced across the room. Could it be?

A rainbow. Bright colors reflected on the glass coffee table, “ROYGBIV,” red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, and violet streaks. The sun and glass conspired to surprise me. A morning gift or just a coincidence?

We have many windows, and light dances through the rooms, casting shadows, bathing rooms in moon glow, and sometimes, a rainbow. I’ve seen them gleaming across the panes of the front door, through the upper windows, and I’ve caught them streaming across the TV screen.

A vibrant blue sky with fluffy white clouds illuminated by sunlight, casting colorful reflections in the atmosphere.

Rainbows Through the Window © Kathryn LeRoy

I know their appearance has a logical and scientific explanation (thank you, Isaac Newton}, resulting from light refraction, reflections, dispersion, and water droplets in the atmosphere. However, I prefer this version—beauty emergency, my favorite term for the unexpected.

Our collective histories, from ancient mythology, spiritual, and social culture turn to the rainbow as a harbinger of hope. At every turn these days, despair stares mockingly, but we have an alternate choice. A choice of action.

Despair may be the feeling of helplessness, but “Hope is the antidote to despair,” (Dalai Lama XIV).

Rabbi Stephanie Kennedy also reminds us that, “Hope takes spiritual courage: to act, to transform.”

It’s about seeing the glass as half empty and choosing to start filling it up. Hope is an active process. In Hebrew, hope is tikvah. It comes from a root that means to gather, to bind—like a thread woven into a fabric. Hope is the act that ties us together, weaving our lives into a shared tapestry. It is not a solo endeavor; it is communal.

In the late afternoon of my coffee table rainbow, a heavy thunderstorm roared outside. Lightening and thunder shook the windows and walls, pouring nearly three inches of rain in less than an hour.

Ripples in a shallow puddle reflect blurred tree foliage, creating a serene and moody atmosphere during rainfall.

Rain © Kathryn LeRoy

Then, done with the cleansing, the sun appeared, casting a golden glow through the trees. I went to explore the light and looked up into the sky.

A rainbow—not just one, but two for our collective hope!

A vibrant double rainbow arches across a cloudy sky, with lush green trees silhouetted at the bottom.

Double Rainbow © Kathryn LeRoy

A song for rainbows

The late Eva Cassidy gifts us a stunning rendition of “Over the Rainbow.”

Poetic words exclaim

My heart leaps up when I behold
A rainbow in the sky
—William Wordsworth

A soft rainbow arches across a bright blue sky, partially obscured by wispy white clouds.

I always welcome your thoughts. If you like, please leave a comment below.

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And always—