Life Shines On

Last night I, like millions of others, found myself watching the season finale of the Bachelorette.   In case you aren't up to date, Chris was the last bachelor to be sent home and he was heartbroken.  Earlier in the show, Chris had shared that, before his mother died of cancer, over a year ago, she told him to look for her in rainbows.  Last night, immediately after he was told to go home, he walked outside and saw a huge, bright rainbow in the sky.  Chris said he believes this rainbow was his mother telling him things would be okay. 
While there may be some skeptics about believing in "signs" from someone who has died, I think we really don't know---and how wonderful if this is true.  In the last 10 years, as a clinician working with children, teens, and adults, who are grieving, I've seen this phenomena of "signs" or "rainbows" quite often.  Even in my study on the children of 9/ll, most of the participants spoke of a moment where they believe their parent was watching over them or sending them a sign that things are okay.  One young girl, whose mother died in the World Trade Center told me that when she turned 16, her aunt bought her a used volkswagon.  The car was immaculate; cleaned inside and out.  But when she sat in the seat and popped open the ashtray, there was an old ticket for the observatory deck on the World Trade Center.  Another rainbow?  She thought so...me too.

Chris, the bachelor, is in good company in believing in rainbows.  Paul McCartney wrote the song, Let It Be, in honor of his mother, Mary, who died when Paul was just 14 years old.  "Mother, Mary comes to me speaking words of wisdom...Let it Be, Let it Be..."