Neglected Rainbows

For the last several months I feel like I've had a little black raincloud hovering constantly over me.  I've had one thunderstorm after another in my life until I must say I feel quite waterlogged by the steady downpour.  Have you ever felt that way?  Have you ever felt that there was no relief from the storms of life?  The other day I read a quote from a wise 12-year-old girl named Alyssa Knight, "Count your rainbows, not your thunderstorms." The quote kind of hit me hard.  It made me wonder if I had spent so much time contemplating my thunderstorms lately that now all I could see were the ugly, dark clouds.  It reminded me of a quote by Gordon B. Hinckley,  “Stop seeking out the storms and enjoy more fully the sunlight.” 

In all of my storm wallowing have I forgotten that there is sunlight behind those dark clouds? After all you need both sunshine and storm clouds to make rainbows.  Without both, I could never truly experience the beauty or enormity of that sky filled spectacle. And so today I've decided to "create my own sunshine" so I can count my neglected rainbows.

Here is a short list of my lately forgotten rainbows:

1- It's spring.  Flowers are abundant.  I can visit a garden center for self-therapy whenever I need to.  The blooms accumulating in my yard are evidence of my need for growing things.

2- I have someone to snuggle me when I need a good cry.  Enough said.

3- I have five great kids that are making great choices and becoming great people. I know how unusual this is.

4- Storms are the best times to curl up with a blanket, hot chocolate, and my favorite read.

5- I have several true friends who are great listeners and keep my secrets. :) What an amazing blessing a true friend is.

6- A sister is a gift to the heart, a friend to the spirit, a golden thread to the meaning of life.  ~Isadora James.  God blessed me with three beautiful sisters.

7- Chocolate and sushi, need I say more?

8- Summer is coming with all of its long, warm days, blockbuster movies, and a vacation from my busy schedule.  That extra sleep sounds like sunshine.

9- I can still dream!  My imagination is endless.

10- And most important, I have a Savior who paid the price for me.  We are all engraved in the palms of his hands.

Take time and count your neglected rainbows today. It will make the storms seem so much less ominous.

 “Through all of living have much joy and laughter, life is to be enjoyed, not just endured.” Gordon B. Hinckley.