Garden Rainbows

One glorious summer day, as I was watering the garden with the garden hose, I became aware of a rainbow in the diamond-like water droplets coming from the hose. As I watered and watched the rainbow, I realized it was upside down with purple on the bottom and red on top.

And then I remembered there are always two rainbows. As I lazily gazed more gently into the cascade of water droplets spraying from the garden hose, there it was – the second rainbow right above the first. It was fainter and reversed – it had the red on the bottom and the purple on the top.

Transfixed, I watched the rainbows streaming their coloured, arcing light right into the earth, and the garden came alive with a circus-like symphony of dancing garden sprites. The mirrored rainbows extended themselves and became mirrored rainbow circles – looping into the ground – joyously circling through the earth to join the arcing rainbow light on the other side. The faeries teased and taunted and danced joyously as they urged me to paint bigger and smaller circles. So I whirled around with abandon, painting the entire garden with rainbows.

Rainbow Light Reflection
And then… I turned around, looking into the sun now, and continued to water the garden. But I could only see water coming from the end of the hose. Where did the rainbows go? I felt sad, and somewhat confused. So I turned back, and there they were – joyful, double-rainbow circles with those garden sprites playing in the spray, pulling the rainbow arcs into the earth. When I turned around again into the sunlight, the rainbows and faeries were gone – only water came out of the hose.

These two very different perspectives made me wonder…. And I realized that what I’m able to see in each moment is all about my position – the position I hold. When I was blinded by the light, I could only see water coming from the garden hose. I could only see “reality”. But with the light behind me – and in me – my world was filled with magic – dancing faeries and arcing rainbows of water and light. All from the same garden hose.

Of course. It’s my choice. Always. And I choose to be in light.

~ Leslie Robinson, Level II Teacher
leslierobinson.ca