The Stories That Wait To Be Told

I have yet to meet anyone who does not smile when they see a beautiful rainbow.

We know that there is no golden pot at the end of the great arc, even though truthfully we all wish there was.

Rainbows remind us of our childhood, of good things. Those multi-coloured spectrums of light that form when the sun and water meet ’just so’, are endlessly gratifying.

A few years ago finally in Connecticut I saw a double rainbow. What a thrill that was; the dark angry sky and right there in the middle not one, but two beautiful arcs of brilliant colours - as if to say don’t worry -this is a double promise, all will be well.

Take 10 children, give them crayons and asked them to draw a rainbow and soon you will have 10 arcs. Always arcs.

And that should not surprise us, because that is the common shape of a rainbow. 

So can you imagine my profound surprise, excitement and disbelief when I saw together with my little boy, Joseph a skipping rainbow. 

Yes, you read that right-a skipping rainbow!

Driving along the sea front towards Cape Town somewhere between Hout Bay, a beautiful small fishing village huddled behind the red stoned walls of Chapman’s Peak and  the thriving town of Camps Bay, we saw it. 

The early evening sun was playing in between the waves and as the spray shot up, swirls of little rainbows suddenly appeared, skipping upon the waves as if they were brightly coloured pebbles that had been skimmed across the water.

We could hardly believe our eyes. There was nothing for it, but to stop the car.

I was even wondering whether it had all been a cruel trick, perhaps there was dirt on the windscreen-it couldn’t be surely? Rainbows after all came in arcs, did they not?

But we were lucky. 

Within moments more skipping rainbows appeared dipping in and popping out again.

In all my years I’ve not seen too many things quite so amazing.

And the look upon my little boy’s face, that I will remember too.

Had you told me before I had set out, that I was about to see skipping rainbows, I would have smiled, waiting for the twist.  I know I would have certainly questioned it.

And I guess it’s very much how things are in life.

Sometimes we get to a place in Life, where we think we have seen it all and there is little that can make us believe otherwise -  and then right there unannounced something or someone comes along and does quite the  unexpected.

My little boy asked me  what I thought of it all and this is what I said to him pointing out towards the sea: ” Just these few wonderful moments reminded me, my son, that despite everything I think I know, there are always new possibilities. 

We only have to open up ourselves to the unknown. Nothing is ever quite finished.

“I really love rainbows daddy” he chirped. I smiled because I was sure he didn’t quite understand what I was on about, but in time I’m sure he will.