InnerSelf.com

In our way of life, with every decision we make, we always keep in mind
the Seventh Generation of children to come.
When we walk upon Mother Earth,
we always plant our feet carefully, because we know
that the faces of future generations are looking up at us
from beneath the ground. We never forget them.
-- Oren Lyons, Faithkeeper of The Onondaga Nation

I do not remember the first time I heard the saying "If you can find the end of a rainbow, you'll find a pot of gold." It sounded strange to me at the time, but it was, nonetheless, something that I tucked away somewhere in the back of my mind. After all, one never knows when one might need a pot of gold. However, as a child, it was mainly the mystery of the whole thing that struck me.

I do not remember the first time I actually saw a rainbow or where I was, but I do know that its quiet beauty struck my heart with such awe that it touched something deep within me. Just seeing a rainbow catches you quite off guard and somehow just makes you stop and look ... and wonder. I suppose it is like finding a pot of gold, although I have never had that pleasure. But I am fortunate to be able to say that I have been given many gifts during my time on Mother Earth, and seeing a rainbow has been among the more cherished of them. It is sacred.

And just as the rainbow is sacred, so is my life. Yes, my life is sacred to me. That may sound a bit arrogant at first, but only because of how it sounds rather than what it means to me. It is interesting when we begin to realize what we consider gifts and what we expect, what we consider privilege and what we consider obligation. For example, my mother was not obligated to give me life. And yet she did.

I remember once when I was home for my birthday, I noticed that my mother was crying to herself. When I asked her why, thinking that something had happened and maybe she needed my help, she simply responded, "I was having you right now." At first, I didn't understand. Then, I suddenly realized that she was reliving the moments leading up to my birth and that this was still such an emotionally powerful experience for her, even all these years later. She looked upon me as a gift and treated me as such. And I, in turn, have always looked upon her gift of life to me as nothing less than sacred.

I have tried to live my life with this attitude. I live my life this way because I choose to live my life this way. This is my Medicine, and for me it is a Good Medicine Way. It holds power for me -- not the power of control, but the power of perspective. To look upon all things as sacred and purposeful is no small task for us human beings, who have been blessed with the intellectual and spiritual capacity to transcend both time and space in a single thought (sounds like Superman, right?). Yet there are times when we human beings do not choose to look beyond our noses and walk right into a tree that was standing there plain as day, for possibly hundreds of years before we arrived. "Damn trees!" we might even say.

If Uwohali, Eagle, flying high, looks no further than the end of her beak, then she misses the beauty of the great expanse that exists above, below, and all around her. The eagle who has the ability to fly but chooses not to recognize her place in relation to the Greater Circle loses that sense of place and may become lost. How might it feel to be floating high upon the wind, not knowing where we are or where we are going? Some might consider this a welcome opportunity, but for how long? When we float high upon the wind or when we walk upon the ground, can we recognize the forest for the trees? Can we even see the trees there before us, let alone the vastness of the forest of which they are a part?

Consider people's fascination with the past. What is this fascination with history, legends, stories, things from the past, and things that remind us of the past? What makes certain pictures or special gifts we received once so important to us? Are we simply burdened with too much free time, or is there a sense of connection that gives our lives meaning?

The past and things that tie us to it give us a sense of connection with those things, experiences, people that have gone before us. In order for us to know our place in the universe, we must realize where we stand in relation to all things around us; this is the power of relation. Our connection with the past gives us a sense of continuity, a sense that we are somehow part of the Greater Circle. It gives us a sense of place and a sense of direction. Our connection with the future also gives us a sense of direction and purpose on the path that we walk.

I have long wondered what really is at the end of a rainbow. Quite honestly, I have never checked (I've chalked that up as one of the many pursuits for later life...). But I do wonder. There have been many stones on my path that I have thus far left unturned, either because I just haven't gotten around to them or maybe because those stones did not wish to be bothered in the first place (it's important to know the difference).

So every time I see a rainbow, I just stand there in awe of its beauty and immensity, and whisper a small prayer thanking the rainbow for being willing to share its beauty with me. And something about the sight of it moves me from within, as if it were touching my spirit, and a deep sense of calm comes over me. I look upon the very sight of the rainbow as a gift, just as I look upon the very sight of the eagle as a gift, and the squirrel, and the ant, and the rock, and the little dandelions, and the rain, and all living beings in the Circle of Life. I know that a rainbow is not a rainbow without all of its colors, just as the Sacred Web of Life cannot exist without every one of its strands in harmony and balance.

We usually don't look upon a rainbow and think about how much prettier the red looks than the blue or how much nicer the whole thing would be if it were curved in a different way or not curved at all. We usually either look upon the rainbow as something of great beauty in and of itself, or we may just ignore it almost altogether. The point is, when we look upon something as a gift, we tend to accept it as it is, to appreciate it as it is, and it just makes us feel good. There is a sense of connection. It touches something within us and somehow grants us sacred moments of harmony.