Over the Rainbow

Over the Rainbow

I have always been a fan of rainbows. My favorite song is Somewhere Over the Rainbow. In the “before times” (pre-pandemic) when Steve and I would go to out and live music was performed, he would always make a secret request and I would be in complete delight to hear the piano player strike up Over the Rainbow.

When I first saw Judy Garland as Dorothy singing it in the iconic movie Wizard of Oz, I wanted to go over the rainbow with her to where skies are blue and the lovely little bluebirds fly. There is such hope in that song and yet we know it originates out of sadness. Dorothy is searching for a better place where all is well, and wishes come true and troubles melt like lemon drops. Wouldn’t we all love for that to happen now?

My sweet mom died 8 years ago today. All of her life she always had a smile, and a laugh even after her stroke that left her completely disabled. Her eyes smiled and her entire face would light up with love when I saw her, despite having no movement on her right side and unable to walk or speak in the language we could understand. On the day she died, I remember looking out the window and seeing a double rainbow and hoping she was “over” the rainbow, where she could dance and sing and her troubles had melted away.

Rainbows only exist where there is both rain and sunshine. It is the combination of both that creates something miraculously beautiful. As we face so much darkness in the world right now, remember, if not for the storms, there would be no rainbows. Enjoy this moment right now where you are and trust that this too shall pass.

The Over the Rainbow version by IZ the Hawaiian singer is iconic and his story of how he recorded the song is a story worth revisiting.

This is what I saw last night after a severe thunderstorm. Hi mom!

With Love,

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