Grace by Accident
This morning I was driving back from a memorable weekend in the Sierra Nevadas, taking in the absolute beauty of nature at its finest and capturing some amazing photos along the way. I found myself driving with purpose to get home ahead of a rainstorm that began this morning in Mammoth Lakes and another that was scheduled to hit Orange County by the time I got home.
Travelling south along California 395, the sky was spectacular and the storm clouds over the Sierras were breathtaking. Looking for one last photo opportunity, I planned a stop on a plateau overlooking the Owens Valley towards Bishop. However, prematurely I began slowing down for the wrong exit and almost stopped a few miles before the actual destination. But that slowdown turned out to be a blessing, for as I looked in my side rearview mirrors to make sure no other vehicles would impede my merge back onto the highway, I turned my head and caught a glimpse of the end of a rainbow off to the side behind me. Knowing rainbows are fleeting depending on the direction of the rain and sunlight, I knew enough to pullover to grab my camera to get a quick photo of it. As I got out of the car I found that the end of the rainbow was in fact part of a full rainbow from end-to-end arching over the entire highway.
How often do we ever get to see such complete rainbows? Not many in my lifetime. But there it was in all its grace and glory. If you look closely just above and to the right of the rainbow, you can see a second rainbow beginning its arch. Had I not slowed for the wrong exit, it begs the question – Would I have missed the rainbow completely had it not been for a mistake?
The takeaway is sometimes we get so focused on where we are going that we often forget to observe what is around us, whether it’s an experience, a minute detail or even something magical, like a rainbow. If we aren’t present to the moment, we may lose precious opportunities, which may never pass again. While I was able to catch this amazing image, the chance was nearly lost in not being aware of my surroundings and that knowing that sometimes the best moments are those that follow us or are in our rear view mirror. Whether it was circumstantial, destiny, luck, or by chance, I’m thankful to have been able to see it as well as capture it, even if it was by accident.
