Magic in the sky

One of the first few things kids are taught in kindergarten is about rainbows and their colours. I am sure every child has at some point coloured rainbow colouring sheets or drawn a smiling sun with a colourful rainbow!

It was just another day yesterday, a busy Friday, with the promise of the weekend looming. As birds flew back to their nests and people wound down at work to head home, there was an ‘oh so gentle’ drizzle, when I turned my face to the sky.

In a few minutes, traffic slowed down, people stopped in their tracks and children paused their games – to see two absolutely stunning rainbows across the sky. Wow…there was magic in the air. The excitement in my children’s voices was palpable.

Why this fascination with the rainbow? What is it that it does to us? 
For me a rainbow is a rare thing of great beauty, which appears when certain conditions are perfect, and combine to create this spectacle. Rainbows bring out the child in each of us, filling us with joy and hope.

Each time I look at a rainbow, I check for the VIBGYOR colours. Sometimes the colours are blended in, sometimes they are distinct and clearly visible.

I still remember seeing twin rainbows in the sky in the Maasai Mara, Kenya, as a herd of African Elephants walked slowly across the grassland, the calves seeking shelter under their moms.

Every rainbow is a moment, a moment of possibilies, childhood memories, colouring sheets and sheer magic.

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Look up

We are so busy these days that we don’t have the time to look up at the sky and enjoy its splendour. As we go through our day, the sky above is also changing. So much is happening up there, clouds are lazing about or seriously gathering to bring us some showers. The sun is busy travelling across the sky, silently casting shadows, both short and long. The sky is a kaleidoscope of colours through the day.

We only seem to have time to bend our necks downward and keep texting,  or to keep inclining our heads at odd angles to answer calls on our mobiles, while trying to complete other chores.

We never ever look upwards.  Because, if we do, we may actually get to see the absolute deep violet of twilight or catch a few twinkling stars that are almost invisible in the cities, where skyscrapers grab the skyline.

Or like I did, one may get to see something like this –

A merry jet streaking across the morning sky, hints of pale yellow reflecting off the clouds.

Another day to enjoy the simple pleasures of life.