Have you ever seen the end of a rainbow?

Most people like rainbows. It’s usually a happy moment when we see one. Have you ever seen the end of a rainbow? My brother, Bill, has. He and his wife, Judy, live in Shoals, in southern Indiana. A few weeks ago my sister heard weather reports of tornadoes in Shoals and people were advised to take cover immediately.

Worried, she called Bill to see if they’d heard the news and to make sure they were OK. She got his voice mail and left a message. About a half hour later he called back. He and Judy had been having lunch at the Lakeview Restaurant just north of Loogootee which didn’t get cell reception.

He said there had been a rain storm while they were eating but no tornadoes. As a matter of fact the sun was coming out when they left the restaurant. As they were driving away, Bill said they witnessed a big, beautiful rainbow. The colors were vibrant. And they could see the rainbow touching the ground. It was in a grassy field with no houses or trees close by.

“That’s the first time I’ve ever seen that,” he said. “Judy, too. Neither of us has ever seen anything like that. It was fascinating.”

I asked if there was a pot of gold there.

“No,” he said. “Just grass.”

An internet search said according to Irish mythology, a pot of gold is hidden at the end of each rainbow by a small member of the fairy family called the leprechaun. All leprechauns love gold and have their very own pot. Even though the rainbow tells people where the pot is, humans have to catch the leprechaun first in order to find the pot of gold.

Bill and Judy did not see a leprechaun so they could not have attempted to catch him. Logic would say that if there was no leprechaun there would be no pot of gold. Yes, I know logic doesn’t go with fairy families and leprechauns but we can deal only with the information we have.

If Bill and Judy saw the end of the rainbow why was there no leprechaun or pot of gold? Did the clever leprechaun just manage to hide his gold and himself? I don’t think that’s what happened.

I believe they did not see the end of the rainbow. They saw the beginning of the rainbow. I’ve never read anywhere that the pot of gold myth addresses what’s at the beginning of the rainbow. I think that at the beginning of the rainbow there is not a pot of gold but a huge, invisible basin that’s full of love and hope. And all you have to do to receive these gifts is to embrace the rainbow. I really do love rainbows and I feel good when I see one. Don’t you?

Keep smiling.

Linda Messmer can be reached at 812-448-8725.