Somewhere Above My Memories

“Dad, how is a rainbow formed?” asks the five-year-old version of me.

“It happens when rays of sunlight pass through the raindrops and the light refracts,” Dad replies.

That answer, even now, exactly 30 years later, is vividly etched in my memory. I also remember knowing the names of the clouds and how rain is formed, and how the rainy clouds differ from those that harmlessly float in the sky.

Today, I explore all these phenomena through symbols and Symbolotherapy®.

Recently, that specific memory crossed the threshold of my consciousness and reached my heart. I’ve been thinking about what we teach children as we grow up. Those who manage to become mature individuals while keeping their inner child alive surely have good imagination, play, and fantasy in their daily lives.

On my terrace, there are stars hanging from the ceiling that sometimes give the impression that they have just slipped from the sky. My son constantly tries to reach for them. I lift him up and allow him to touch and explore the stars, whispering to him that he must never believe it’s impossible.

This is how I envision the answer to that famous question: Is it or isn’t it (all) possible?

My answer at this stage of life is that a person is neither powerless nor almighty.

What always changes is perception; thus, something that seems impossible can become possible, and it is precisely in that process that the art of life emerges. I am happy that my son wants to touch and reach for the stars, and it’s my role to support him in that endeavour. Who knows, maybe one day he will surprise you, just as I will surprise my dad when he reads this and sees that I have touched a rainbow. ☺

The Symbolism of the Rainbow

The rainbow is a symbol of transition from one reality to another; it serves as a bridge between the visible and the invisible, between imagination and reality. Emerging from the world of fairy tales, the rainbow is something we can see. It is always a passage—a bridge between the material and the spiritual. Its colours convey the message of what can be gained when the Sun (the rational part of your being) meets Water (your emotions, your soul). In that encounter, the magic is born—a rainbow.

A Call to Reflection

Now, I invite you to pause for a little bit and try to find an answer to the following question: Can you touch the stars or walk into a rainbow? Just because you don’t believe you can, it doesn’t mean it’s impossible; through experience, you might change your perception. For instance, if you try Symbolotherapy®, you might discover otherwise. ☺