Of Rainbows and Magic 🌈💫

This is from an evening conversation with Deeyan, my 8-year-old nephew.🧍Usually the family catches up with the kids👨‍👧(nephew and 3-year-old niece) on the weekends over a lengthy video chat, where we become  audience to their endless antics.😂

But this one was different, just between Deeyan and me, and a plain audio call, for a change. So, it was more like a conversation than a high octane, noisy chitchat, much to my relief.🤭😅 I happened to mention one of his paintings [he diligently posts all his drawing and painting works🎨🖌️ on the family Whatsapp group, right after his Art classes and wait for our comments] and the conversation continued from there.

I said – “The rainbow colours are very beautiful in your painting, Deeyan. Ok, tell me, have you seen a rainbow🌈?”

He – “Thank you. Yes, yes, I have.”

I – “Somehow the colors in real are not as clear and bright as they are in your painting. I think, it depends on the time of the day, how much light is there, what colour the sky is, and in that background everytime the rainbow looks different .”

He excitedly intervened – “But the sunlight has to be there, really shining well while it is raining, or else there will be no rainbow.”

I – “Yes, you are right. And then in the science subject, you will study how the sunlight splits into different colours to form a rainbow.”

He – “Hmmm, actually it is all magic.💫✨ Let me explain. See, like when you mix two colours🎨, a totally different third color is formed; it is magic. Similarly, when raindrops and sunlight meet, then rainbow is formed [🌞 +💧=🌈] and that is magic. Isn’t it? Like when you mix Red and Yellow, then Orange is formed, which is different. It is magic only.”

I absolutely agreed. You tell me, how could I have not? Then we went on to discuss how there is so much magic happening all around, always.

He shared – “There is a lot of magic in the sky. But we don’t know all of them. Like, during sunset, how the sun changes color while going down. The sky also changes its color with that. This is magic only.”

I agreed even more and asked if he can share any more magic that he sees around.

He informed – “Well, nothing comes to my mind at this moment. I have already shared, whatever I could think of.”

I continued – “Alright. Like when we fly in an airplane✈️, then how we go above the clouds☁️, which look like cotton and we cannot see the earth🌏anymore. Do you think this is also magic?”

He added – “Yes, of course, this is magic. And there it feels like we are not moving and the plane is just still, but in actual we are moving because we have reached another place, when we land.”

Then he exclaimed – “Lots of magic! Lots of magic! But we don’t know them all.🤔 Even the earth is also moving, but we can’t make out because we are very very small. Also, the sun and stars are very far from us.”

I agreed – “Yes. May be if we read more 📚 and observe more, we will come to know more.”

He felt excited – “Yes…and also by sharing. What we know, we should share with each other because “sharing is caring”.💛 But, during test we cannot share, we should not share because then Teacher will not like it. But for project work, we can share.”

🤗🥰😄 Still wondering at this, I just said- “Indeed.”

He went on to ask me – “Ok, tell me, how violet color is formed?” I tried to answer but could not actually recollect the combination. 🙄

He said – “by mixing red and blue.”

He advised me to experiment mixing colours in my palette and find out how new colors can be formed. I told him that I actually do not paint. The last time I did, is when I was in college, a long time back.

He said – “You can always try again and you will learn. Like Mama [my Bhabhi/ sister-in-law] did not know how to bake a cake. Now she has tried many times and has learnt that. The cakes come out🎂🎂 really good. We don’t get them from the shop anymore.”

I just said – “Wowww…”

And we acknowledged how we learnt from each other by sharing. We agreed to share more because “sharing is caring”🤗 and so on and on and on……until we got tired of talking and finally greeted each other goodnight.

I was left completely washed by the innocent, unpretentious wisdom flowing directly from the sweet realm of childhood. The wisdom of living in wonder, of sharing, of trying and learning and much more. Yes, I could feel my inner child, so alive and so full in my heart. Living in awe of the wonders happening all around, I felt, was truly celebrating this gift called life.

I feel grateful that this conversation happened. 🙏

P.S. The inspiration to share this conversation came yesterday when a friend (on this platform) replied to my comment on his post, saying – “P.S. I really like the rainbow emoji in your comments!” I wondered, how kind reciprocations and sincere acceptance can help Inspirations to thrive among fellow beings.

Such beautiful things happen only on os.me. It is pure magic, if you ask me.✨💫

With Love,

Dipali 😊🌈

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