This morning my one year old son woke up especially early with his high pitched screams and the rattles of his crib blaring through the baby monitor that we have next to our bedroom. I just couldn't get up, not this morning, too tired, besides I have a big day ahead. In my mind I grumble at why this child insists on getting up so early. My gracious, wife rolled out of bed and began tending to him. I open one eye to glance at the darkness that still overwhelmed my windowsill and then turn to my clock to confirm what my body was already telling me, "you could still get another hour of much needed sleep."
My selfishness sat in and I began to remind myself of how badly I need a break and I deserve this extra sleep. To my embarrassment, I admit that I have a set of ear plugs next to my bedroom night stand when such moments of exasperation arise. I squished the foam earplugs and placed them firmly in my ears. Slowly the earplug expanded combatting every unwanted noise and in my drift to unconsciousness I heralded the maker of these remedies for drowning out a clamoring world.
Moments passed and I heard knocking at my door. I thought if I ignored it perhaps it would stop. I decided that my earplugs needed reinforcement so I used my wife's vacant pillow to put over my head. The thumps on my door persisted and the small faint voice of my daughter began breaking through my barrier of insulation. Now with an urgency I began to hear my daughter calling, "DADDY, DADDY, DADDY!!!" this now accompanied by an all out assault on my cocoon of blankets and pillows. I knew there was no relenting.
With great reluctance I remove the earplugs and notice the ambiance of sunlight that is now invading my room behind the cracks of the blinds in front of my window. My daughter says, "come on daddy hurry, follow me, hurry!" Still half asleep I stumble to follow her as she persistently says, "Daddy hurry you don't want to miss it!" "Miss what?" I replied. With great enthusiasm she said, "The Rainbow, daddy...I don't want you to miss the rainbow!" Leading me into the bedroom of her little brother, who was undergoing a change of diaper at the hands of his mother, she led me to his window. My son who was now finished getting his diaper changed gave me an exuberant welcome as he couldn't wait to have me hold him, and was soon plunged into my arms. Together we all gazed out the window captivated by the colorful prism filling the sky. It was a moment...and it would soon pass as the rays of the son burned away the mist from the sky. And I was once again reminded that these beautiful seasons of life with my children are here for a moment and then those moments soon pass...so may I not miss "The Rainbows."
