Hope at the end of a rainbow
It’s been symbol of hope since biblical times, a glimmering harbinger of the sun’s emergence after the passing of a storm. Who doesn’t wish for a rainbow during grim, anxious times like the current COVID-19 pandemic?
It’s been symbol of hope since biblical times, a glimmering harbinger of the sun’s emergence after the passing of a storm.
Who doesn’t wish for a rainbow during grim, anxious times like the current COVID-19 pandemic?
Indeed, rainbows – the kind drawn or crafted by children -- are showing up on windows of homes all around the world, spreading a cheery message among residents who are stuck indoors.
The “Quarantine Rainbows,” as they are known, were inspired by the children of Italy and Spain – two of the countries hardest-hit by the pandemic – who began posting artwork in windows for their neighbors to see.
The pictures usually are accompanied by words of comfort: Todo saldrá bien, or Andrà tutto bene, or in English, “Everything will be fine.” Tens of thousands of photos carrying those hashtags have been shared on social media.
There’s even a map showing that in the U.S., quarantine rainbows have cropped up from Boston to San Francisco and from Minneapolis to Miami.
“The rainbow is a symbol for so many beautiful people and events…it only makes sense it would be our symbol of hope through all this,” a Chicago mom wrote in an Instagram post accompanying a photo of her kids’ artwork.
We here at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital have long appreciated the uplifting quality of art produced by and geared toward kids. Patient art lines the walls of hallways and brings daily inspiration.
