Rainbow Connection

The Rainbow Connection is superficially simple, yet deceptively profound.

Why are there so many
Songs about rainbows
And what’s on the other side?

Ryma and I listened to a lot of music in her last months. This song was a favorite, and we listened to a lot of different versions of it. This particular recording, however, was our go-to favorite, and I still listen to it from time to time. Today, of course, is one of those days…

As always, it’s difficult to articulate what moved and motivated us in those last days, but it goes without saying that we were wishing, hoping and praying for a miracle. This song, in a simple and hopeful way, addresses those complex issues. Todd Mager’s honest and straight-forward vocal over Jim Brickman’s incredible piano makes for a compelling performance (and it goes without saying that Kenny Ascher & Paul Williams wrote an awesome song to begin with).

Mager dedicates it to his children, and encourages them to never stop dreaming. There are a lot of “never stop”s in life. Ryma never stopped fighting, never stopped hoping and dreaming. She also never stopped believing. Naturally, she also wished the best for her kids (and me) going forward without her, and always encouraged our dreams.

Love knows no bounds. As I’ve written in other posts, love spans time, and even life. To the extent that rainbows are perceivable under the right circumstances, yet intangible, I think there remains a “rainbow connection” between us even now, between her and those she loved, and those who loved her.

This phenomenon is certainly not unique to us, Ryma and her loved ones. Perhaps that’s one of the reasons that there are so many songs about rainbows, and what’s on the other side.

What’s so amazing
That keeps us star gazing
What do we think we might see?

Someday we’ll find it
That Rainbow Connection
The lovers the dreamers and me