"If you want the rainbow, you gotta put up with the rain." - Dolly Parton
Rainbows have always had special meaning for me, but thunder storms also hold a special place in my heart. Ever since I can remember, my Dad loved big storms. He would sit on the front porch and watch the rain come pouring down.
When I was little I'd sit with him. At first I think I was pretending to enjoy the storm; when in reality I just wanted to be close to my Dad during the thunder and lightening. As I got older I loved sitting with him and just listening to the rain. We wouldn't do much talking, but spending time with him during storms is one of my favorite memories.
The real reason I think my Dad liked storms, especially in the spring and summer, was the rainbows. He had a tough exterior, but show him a rainbow and he was a little kid again.
Since my Dad passed away I've been seeing a lot of rainbows. The best ones comes when there hasn't been any rain; just a clear blue sky and a big, bright rainbow. I posted a picture of the first rainbow I saw this season in a previous post.
All day today the weather was crazy. A tornado in Revere, flooding all over MetroWest, and tonight a quick, but powerful storm of rain, thunder, and lots of wind. I stood on my front steps (I don't have a front porch), and I watched the rain. I could hear it falling on the street, and I could smell the storm in the air. I watched outside for about 15 minutes, and then went back inside. Before I sat down I peeked out the window and saw the rainbow. I knew it was coming. It was beautiful. In fact, it was a double rainbow.
Tonight I'm grateful for my memories, for rainbows, and mostly importantly, for being taught from a very young age that you have to put up with the rain if you want to see the rainbow.
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