Rustic Rainbows

This post was originally drafted  on Wednesday evening, June 8, 2016.

Milestones. Rites of passage. Birthdays…  Anniversaries.

June 8.

Today would have been my 14th wedding anniversary.  Would have been. Unfortunately, my divorce was final 16 days ago.  I say “unfortunately” because I don’t think anyone gets married expecting it won’t work. I say “unfortunately” because the dream I had for what my family life would look like had to be rewritten.  I say “unfortunately” because of the collateral damage I’ve caused.

Dolly Parton once said, “The way I see it, if you want the rainbow you gotta put up with the rain.”  Admittedly, it’s not my favorite Dolly quote, but it is a good one!  And so very true.

Wikipedia explains rainbows as a meterological phenomenon caused by reflection, refraction, and dispersion (…of light in water droplets resulting in a spectrum of light appearing in the sky… yada yada yada).

Reflection, refraction, and dispersion have been aplenty– and true. There have been a few too many dark days… a lot of introspection and over-thinking… the bending and breaking of what I thought was normal and how it was “suppose” to be… and, the segregation of family, friends, assets, alliances, and emotions.

Rainbows don’t occur without the rain and life doesn’t happen without some weathering. Lived authentically, life is  rustic… plain and simple.  We make life so much more complicated than it needs to be.  But, it’s yours.  You are in charge.  You are responsible for your own health and happiness. So own it! I am.

At the end of this journey called life– cause it is a journey, not a destination– I am the only one responsible for my happiness.  I could pretend I’m not in charge.  I could play victim.  I could let others, or inaction, makes my decisions. But I’m not.  I won’t.

Today, as one anniversary ends, another begins.  Today, the rain has stopped and the rainbow is coming into view.  Today, I own my emotional health and happiness.

Rainbows are the things of Irish folklore (unicorns, fairies, and leprechauns– need I say more?) and, to many, a symbol of religious hope (yeah God!). So, just as the magic of fairies delights and the steadfast faith of a spiritual heart endures, life is full of ironic serendipity.

It’s a rustic rainbow and it’s rare.