Rainbow Bridge across the divide

Many people from all walks of life have been putting rainbows in their windows to try and spread some joy in these difficult times and to show our love and appreciation for our NHS and key workers.

The Covid-19 pandemic has confined people inside their homes, with trips out only permitted for daily exercise and shopping for food and essential items like medication.

Some people have put up pictures of rainbows in their windows to cheer up those suffering through the isolation.

A Facebook group set up to get children to draw and display rainbows so that other local children can go rainbow spotting when out for some daily exercise now has over 121,000 members and is still growing daily.

We live opposite a little girl from my six year old son’s class. She drew a rainbow and put it in her front room window so my son did the same. Then she drew a sunshine so he did one too. Her mum sent me text to say how happy her little girl was to see his rainbow. They really don’t understand what is happening and miss their friends. Now they draw each other pictures and wave through the window.

And it isn’t just children doing it either. Lots of our neighbours without children have displayed rainbows to show their appreciation for all of our key workers.

My children really look forward to 8pm on Thursdays when we all stand on our doorsteps and bang our pots and pans and clap for our key workers. There’s a real feeling of communities coming together during all of this.

One local mum even left me some tonic water for my gin on my doorstep as I’d run out. Stuck at home with three children it was a gesture that was so appreciated I cried.

In Norse Mythology the rainbow symbolises the bridge between heaven and earth. During this pandemic it is a bridge between those cut off from each other.

Featured image by Ava Vickerson, Hull, age 11

Story by Jody Whitehill