“God puts rainbows in the clouds so that each of us — in the dreariest and most dreaded moments — can see a possibility of hope.” ~Maya Angelou

This week has been full of on again, off again showers of rain the remind me of Hawaii. I used to curse and complain about the rain but stopped after the umpteenth year of California drought; it was better to embrace and be grateful for the showers that brought life back to the trees, flowers, and landscape that make our neighborhood so green and inviting than to curse the rain.

The rain also brought a brief respite from baseball practice and baseball games for the kids.

“Practice will likely be canceled” my husband texted as I dropped the kids off at school. By the time I got home, my older son’s coached emailed “Today’s game: canceled.”

Honestly, I was relieved of “M-Ubeirng” the kids and their equipment, muddy cleats, and stinky clothes from home to the field and home again. I texted the kids: “No practice, no game today” along with two emojis: a frowning face and a rainbow.

The boys know I love to search for rainbows. Some people see rainbows as luck; other see rainbows as hope; to me, a rainbow reminds me that my mom is looking over us.

I thought about the rainbow emoji and realized I hadn’t thought about my mom in a while; I hadn’t felt her presence or spirit which left me feeling empty and lonely for her company.

As the day progressed rain showers started and stopped; the sun came out and went away only to be replaced by clouds and more rain. Around 4:30 pm the sun came out for good, so I clipped the leash on Cody and headed out the door for a walk. The sun felt good and the air was clean and smelled sweet. Many neighbors were out and about, taking advantage of the break in the weather.

As I continued home, my thoughts went back to my mom. I missed our jokes and laughter; I missed our morning walks and long conversations; I missed being with her and holding her hand. I missed my mom and felt empty.

I stopped for a moment as a feeling of warmth spread over me. I looked up into the sky and there it was: an unexpected rainbow. I stood there for a moment and then took a photo. As I tucked my phone into my pocket, I whispered softly: “Thank you, Mom. Thank you” as I watched the rainbow slowly disappear while my heart filled with love.