Over the Rainbow

David watched closely as I placed several folded outfits inside his suitcase. He then wrinkled his nose and asked, “Where are we going?” I always avoid answering him for as long as possible, so I responded with a non-committal “Wait and see.” When all of the suitcases were lined up at the door, David once again put forth his query. I expected my husband’s response to be the same as mine, but instead, he smiled and answered, “Somewhere over the rainbow.” David’s eyes lit up with slight curiosity. He half-grinned, but wrinkled his nose again…this time with a sniff of disbelief. The car was packed with no further questions regarding our destination, but as the vehicle pulled away from the familiarity of home, curiosity revived. From the backseat, a small voice audibly wondered how we were going to get over the rainbow. There was a part of my son that wanted to believe in the existence of what he knew to be imaginary. I felt a slight knot form at the thought that he would be disappointed by the absence of ruby slippers and lollipop wielding munchkins. My husband, however, continued the ruse and encouraged David to search the sky for rainbows. Interstate 16 is no yellow-brick road, but the route is equally as familiar to David. He eventually recognized that we were en route to Grandma and Grandpa’s house. Talk of rainbows diminished at this point except for the occasional sighing admission of defeat. “I do not see the rainbow…” Tall pillars of cottony clouds grew on the horizon, layered with flatter gray clouds that signaled the approach of rain. Five hours into our travels and thirty minutes from our final stop, a ray of sun broke through to form a perfect double arch across the vast sky. My husband and I stared in absolute wonder and disbelief as David gasped and leaned forward in his seat. Here was the long-awaited rainbow. There was no scarecrow to guide us over or wizard to bring us home again, but the existence of that band of color was enough for all of us. There’s nothing like a little bit of divine intervention at the end of a long journey, and I will always think of David’s rainbow as nothing short of miraculous.