I was walking around my neighbourhood, enjoying my one opportunity to get out of the house while maintaining my distance, as I noticed a few clumsily painted rainbows decorate the windows of nearby houses.

 

This rainbow has become a signal for support for the NHS, such as other events like clapping and celebration for them at 8pm on Thursdays. The trend was started as a sign of hope for patients and hospitals workers. Suspected to have started in support of Nightingale Hospital in East London, after its hashtag #RainbowsForNightingale, it became more well known throughout the country to now support hospitals and the NHS as a whole. As if the heart-warming message behind it wasn't enough, to me it seemed these paintings were mostly done by small children. Parents and families have been encouraging their children to make these paintings, making it now an creative activity for children to partake in while staying safe inside.

 

Rainbows have been a signal of hope in history for a very long time. For example, in the story of Noah it is described how God 'set [His] rainbow in the clouds; His own rainbow was set there, for Noah, in a time of renewal that seemed scary but that still improved humanity as whole and concluded in a happy ending. Furthermore, the rainbow flag that represents the LGBTQ+ community further enforces how rainbows were used and are still used as a symbol of strength and hope. A final cultural appearance rainbows have is in D.H. Lawrence's novel The Rainbow, first published in 1915, which was originally under heavy censorship due to its transgressive discussion on taboo subjects such as love and sexuality. Rainbows have been part of our culture for a long time as a symbol of hope, renewal and strength.

 

For me, seeing a rainbow reminded me of that childish excitement whenever you saw rain emerge during a day of sunshine. Being reminded of the joy, positivity, excitement from our childhoods. Times are tough and reminding to be positive is difficult when the streets are empty and the air stays quiet. But I'm sure you, as I, can't help feeling a sense of pride or even just a smile in recognising these acts that bring back a bit of hope in humanity. Because even if it seem that through us fighting this virus we are fighting each other, I see us being connected in new, and very needed ways.

 

By Charlotte D'Angelo