The beginning.

I knew that I was dreaming. The meadow that materialized in front of me had that unreal quality to it that you only find in the depths of your own mind. A gentle breeze blew, teasing the tall grass and making it sway. The sun shone brightly but was not hot enough to be uncomfortable. The sky stretched out a clear, endless blue. As I watched a small shack formed in the middle of the meadow. It wasn't much to look at but you could tell that it was sturdy. The rough door pulled open and six children of different ages and race spilled out. All paused for a moment to take a deep breath of fresh air and to turn their faces towards the sun. Within moments they were running back and forth, screaming in delight at a game of their own making. I watched contentedly with a heart full of happiness.

All was well. The world was a place of infinite possibilities.

Suddenly, without any warning, the meadow was cast into a dark shadow. Looking up I discovered that unbeknownst to myself and the children dark storm clouds had blocked out the sun. We all watched in disbelief as the clouds stopped, each of us silently willing them to continue about their way. The wind picked up, tearing at the hair and clothes of the children. It howled through the trees surrounding the meadow with an eerie scream. Lightning flashed, quickly followed by the boom of thunder. The older children finally realized that they storm would not be passing by and rushed to get the younger children into the shack. The door had barely closed behind them when the first drops of rain began to fall. The rain fell quickly, in sheets of stinging pellets. Lightning flashed every few minutes, always quickly followed by a burst of thunder that shook the shack as though trying to break it apart.

The children all crowded around the shack's single window. Their faces were visible only during the flashes of light that came from the lightning. All six faces were clearly etched with fear. They screamed and cried, clinging to one another as they watched the storm rage out of control.

There was nothing right with this world. It was nothing but fear and uncertainty. A never ending, merciless storm.

After what seemed to be an eternity, the storm began to lose it's fierceness. First the wind died down, the eerie howling dulling to a faint whisper. The lightning gave a few more half hearted attempts before it finally departed, taking the thunder with it. The rain slowed to a drizzle before finally fading away as the dark clouds broke up and dispersed. The sun came out, shining down on a wet and battered world.

The children cautiously made their way out of the shack, scanning the horizon for even a glimpse of the dreaded storm clouds. As they finally stood in the middle of the meadow a beautiful rainbow arched across the sky. The children looked up in wonder and awe at the beauty above them. Grinning at each other they began their play again, laughter filling the air.


I have come to a point in my life where I have realized that life was not meant to be easy. I found myself bogged down, drowning in all of the negativity and unpleasantness that swirled around me. I very nearly gave into the despair. It was at that point that I knew I had to make a change or I would be lost.

There are always going to be situations where we believe everything is well, only to have the storm rush in and cause turmoil. But we cannot give into the fear that the storm will never end. We must endure to the end, for that is where we will find our rainbow.

Easier said than done, I know. So, I have set myself this challenge. Every day I will find one bright spot. One positive thing that happened for me to cling to, to post about. No matter what happens, no matter what tragedy befalls me, I will find a little piece of rainbow every single day. No matter how small or insignificant. That is my challenge. That is my goal. Will you join me in making the world a more positive place?