I have a dear friend who I always see as a 'rainbow of hope'; she is able to bring light, colour and energy with her whirlwind life, as you try to keep up. She can carry you forward and bring needed hope, especially in these dark and sad times. The rainbow comes after the storms and will bring light once more in the most colourful of ways, lighting the sky with beauty.

In the popular film, 'The Wizard of Oz', the heroine, Dorothy, sings wistfully that 'Somewhere Over the Rainbow the skies are blue!" Again, it is a song with a positive message of hope; Dorothy is told by Aunt Em to go and find a place "where you won't get into trouble!" She realises that she cannot get there by train, car or walking; Dorothy realises that her safe place is 'over the rainbow': it was a state of mind, an attitude to life just as my rainbow-friend shows. In these days of confusion, I urge you to seek a safe space where you can feel comfortable and find safety.

Within every cloud, there is a silver lining. From every patch of rain, no matter how hard, somewhere there is a rainbow to be found. Have you ever had days, weeks or months in your life when it seems as though the clouds will not pass, and the rain just will not stop falling? Trauma and hurt will affect us all in different ways. In these times we need to ensure that we care for each other—we need to offer support and be the listening ear that so many of us need in times of isolation and loneliness. You might not be able to change the world, but you can easily change the world for one person. Don Bosco urged us to accompany the young and to be a strong presence for them. Maya Angelou offers this sound advice:

I'm convinced of this: Good done anywhere is good done everywhere. For a change, start by speaking to people rather than walking by them like they're stones that don't matter. As long as you're breathing, it's never too late to do some good

While we certainly cannot save people from their pain, we all have the power to influence one another in positive ways. We each have the power to give to one another in a way that is meaningful and impactful.

To be the rainbow in someone's cloud means to cultivate loving kindness, adopted by Don Bosco as his method of education, as a daily practice in your life. It means tuning in to your heart, practicing empathy and using that empathy to connect to the people around you in a meaningful way. We all have the opportunity to be someone's rainbow. Probably the greatest part of adopting this practice, is that our efforts do not need to be overwhelming. Something as simple as a smile or a phone call can greatly help someone who is going through a difficult time. Not only will you impact others in a positive way, but you also give yourself a purpose outside of your own needs, which brings fulfilment and ultimately happiness for you too. When we are kind to others, we learn that we matter, that we are powerful, and what we do on a daily basis really does have an impact on the world around us. Pope Francis reminds us:

A true Christian brings kindness to others….it is this limitless, selfless loving-kindness towards all other people that glorifies and reflects the nature of God.

In these times, we have our own 'rainbow children'; children of an unprecedented lockdown. While the children of the blitz could evacuate to the freedom of the countryside, the children of Coronavirus had to stay inside, many of them drawing rainbows to show their support for those frontline workers who strive to keep us safe. These rainbow children have been highlighted in a poem by a Shotton Colliery mum, Gemma Peacock; she was feeling low during lockdown and was brought out of that depression by looking at her children's painted rainbows, made, lovingly, for the NHS workers. On one of the main highways where I now live, there is a huge rainbow painted in the tarmac—as I drive, it is wonderful to offer a prayer of praise for all of those who have sacrificed so much for us. Ms Peacock reminds us:

The parents used to worry that, as schools were put on hold, their children wouldn't have the tools, they'd need as they grew old.
But history books will talk of them, now adults, fully grown.
Those little boys and girls back then,
The ones who stayed at home.
They'll tell you that they fixed this world,
Of all they would fulfil.
The RAINBOW children building dreams,
They'd dreamed whilst time stood still.

As adults we can learn from the rainbow generation of 2020. I am sure that the lockdown was an opportunity to share and listen—unless we plan for it in the new normal, we might never have this opportunity again. We need to make sure this happens. As adults we can learn from the children, just as Jesus urged his apostles when they were arguing as to which one of them was the greatest:

"whoever takes the lowly position of this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. And whoever welcomes one such child in my name welcomes me." (Matthew 18: 4-5)

Greatness, according to Jesus, is not about power, prestige and wealth, rather it is having that childlike TRUST in God's will and carrying out with simplicity and honesty. As adults we sometimes need to learn that trust and follow it in our own lives instead of possessively wanting to control. Covid-19 has taught us that we cannot control everything in life; we need to allow God some space. Our children , with their care, honesty and openness, can be our teachers in lockdown:

The history books will talk of now,
That time the world stood still.
When every family stayed at home,
Waved out from windowsills
At those they loved but could not hold,
Because they loved them so.
Yet, whilst they did they noticed all the flowers start to grow.
The sun came out, they can recall,
And windows, rainbows filled.
They kicked a football in their yards,
Until the night drew in.
They walked each day but not too close,
That time the world stood still.
(Gemma Peacock 'Rainbow Children')

Author: Fr Gerry O'Shaughnessy SDB

Photo: Alex Jackman on Unsplash