{"id":167634,"date":"2024-05-13T15:42:18","date_gmt":"2024-05-13T13:42:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.erasmusmagazine.nl\/en\/?p=167634"},"modified":"2025-12-19T11:27:19","modified_gmt":"2025-12-19T10:27:19","slug":"rainbow","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.erasmusmagazine.nl\/en\/2024\/05\/13\/rainbow\/","title":{"rendered":"Rainbow"},"content":{"rendered":"

It was a dreary Monday morning. With great reluctance, I pedalled into the grey, wet mass on my way to campus Woudestein. The thought of spending the next three hours in my cold, wet jeans at the office loomed over me.<\/p>\n

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\n\t\n\n<\/svg>\n<\/span>\n\tImage by:<\/span>\n\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tLevien Willemse<\/a>, \t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tPauline Wiersema<\/a>\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>

I grumbled to myself (yes, I frequently have one-on-one conversations with myself \u2013 that\u2019s apparently quite normal): \u201cGood grief, what dreadful weather!\u201d But suddenly, a warm ray of light touched my cheek and I looked up. Instantly, my grumpiness gave way to a smile. \u201cWow, that\u2019s beautiful!\u201d An impressive arch loomed across the sky before me! It seemed as if the world paused just to present this colourful spectacle to me on this grey Monday morning.<\/p>\n

To me, a rainbow is one of the most enchanting natural phenomena. It\u2019s easy to see it as a \u2018simple\u2019 physical phenomenon where sunlight is reflected and refracted through raindrops. But it symbolises much more. The rainbow represents femininity \u2013 the smooth arc is elegant, radiating a spectrum of colours from red to violet and exuding a calm and gentle aura amidst rain and sometimes even storms. It also embodies strength \u2013 displaying a magnificent palette of colours in the vast grey sky with just a few rays of sunlight. At the same time, a rainbow\u2019s beauty is fleeting and fragile. It appears suddenly when water droplets break the light, but once the specific combination of conditions no longer applies, it disappears as quickly as it appeared. Its transience highlights the impermanence of life and the limited control we have over it.<\/p>\n

Moreover, the rainbow symbolises light shining in darkness \u2013 colour and joy amidst gloom. A rainbow on a Monday morning reminds me that, even in difficult times, there are bright spots, but only if we\u2019re open to seeing them. It teaches me to appreciate the small wonders in everyday life.<\/p>\n

With a renewed perspective, I continued my journey to campus. My wet trousers were not only soaked by the cold rain but also saturated with the beauty of nature and the warmth of the sun. It was a personal reminder that, even on dark, grey Monday mornings, there\u2019s always something beautiful to find if we\u2019re open to seeing it.<\/p>\n\n\t

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Lees meer<\/h2>\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t