I’m in the rear view mirror right now, riding on that breathtaking rainbow. It’s raining glitter. There’s butterflies and unicorns and a great big pot of gold under my feet. There’s a skip in my step and a flutter in my belly. It’s the age of gladness and good days.

But there was a time, when I was just looking in that rear view mirror. The rainbow was blurry, clouded by the rain cloud over my head. Every single other person in the world was dancing in that mirror. And all I could do is take one step, one breath, at a time. I ached to jump into my rear view glass. I wanted to feel normal, happy…Like every single other person I saw out there. There was a limp in my step and a burning hole in my belly. It was the age of sad Groundhog Day.

However, I always knew that both sides of the glass were necessary—the glittery slide and the gloomy ride. If I never spied that shiny, happy party out of the corner of my sad eye, then the rainbow ride would merely be a rerun of a show from the 90’s— good the first time, but now overdone.

I am grateful for the rain. I am grateful for the rainbow. And I am also thankful for all of the grey weather in between.