The Improbable Rainbow

Although I am holding off on my “Spring is right around the corner” celebration (more on that another time), I would like to acknowledge that today does have some special significance to many.

It’s Groundhog’s Day; the day old white men in overcoats haul a hibernating rodent out of its burrow and make a bad movie about it.

It’s also Imbolc; depending on your Tradition and your translation, a festival whose name means various things including “in the belly” or “ewe’s milk.” Either way, there is a fertility aspect to be honored in deference to the pastoral cultures of the British Isles. Yesterday marked St. Brigid’s Day, dedicated to the Irish Saint/Goddess of inspiration, generosity, compassion and the eternally burning flame. Last in the list, but certainly not least is Candlemas aka The Feast of the Purification of the Virgin aka, well, aka a long list of names which could and might some day be a posting of its own.

So, what have we got here? Light, birth, inspiration, creating…. And how does this manifest in my life? I have a lot to be thankful and hopeful for. I have a job interview later this week. My friend who is struggling to overcome some infertility issues may have had some good news as her body comes back “online.” This weekend I’m hosting a kitchen-full of beautiful and inspired women for a cheese-making workshop (see ewe’s milk above). And on my way home today from visiting with my good friend/spiritual advisor I saw the most unlikely of rainbows.

Right there in front of me, looking into the glaring I saw about 10degrees of a rainbow on either side. It was like Technicolor quotation marks calling my attention to the light. I honestly thought it couldn’t be real. Rainbows aren’t visible right next to the sun. But there it was. I phoned up my friend and asked her to step out her door to tell me if she saw what I saw. She did. It was real! The rainbow followed me home – for 40 minutes while I drove it neither faded nor decreased in size.

Love, light, and the colors of upcoming Spring. Amazing. Miraculous. Improbably beautiful. A lot like life.