I went to buy a card for my nephew’s birthday at the local card shop, and overheard this exchange:

“Last night I tried to come by, but it looked like the power was out.”

“Yep. A raccoon got into the substation and managed to mess something up.”

“Oh my gosh — was he okay?”

“The raccoon was fine. But they had to turn off the power and call Animal Control. It took awhile for the Animal Control guys to get there, capture the raccoon, remove him from the substation and release him. They couldn’t turn the power back on until after he was safely out of the way.”

“Wow. Now that’s not something that happens everyday.”

Indeed.

Needless to say, I smiled. First, because I happened to be in that shop at the very time the conversation was taking place. Second, because the source of yesterday’s three-hour time-out was not some horrific accident as I had feared, but rather an adventurous wayward raccoon. Third, because said raccoon survived his little escapade, and lived to see another day.

There’s some kind of poetic justice in the fact that the cause of my reversion to “camping mode” was none other than a furry nocturnal creature who is more likely to be found in a campground than in the local substation. He had to plug in, so to speak, so that I (and my neighbors) could unplug.

Profound. Interesting. And, no matter how I look at it, still somewhat amusing.

It never hit me that I was looking at a celestial frown.

When I returned home, I googled “moon planets alignment” to figure out what I had seen, and the first result screamed, “Tonight: Planets Align in a Frown.” In a rare conjunction event, Venus and Jupiter lined up side-by-side, just below the crescent moon – making an upside-down frown in the sky!

While pondering this celestial commentary and its coordination with some sobering recent headlines, I came upon the following search result, “Planets all smiles as galaxy puts on rare show.”

Now how could this be? Is it possible that the heavens were frowning for one journalist yet smiling for another?

Further reading of the “smiley” article provided the answer. The unhappy configuration was visible in the Northern hemisphere, while the cheerier counterpart smiled down upon stargazers in western Australia and other parts of the Southern hemisphere.

To me, seeing the frown was cool. But seeing the smiley must have been a whole lot cooler. The next planetary conjunction is slated for May 2013. I’m already planning my trip to Australia.

Ben took in the hike from a carrier on his dad’s back. He didn’t miss a trick, pointing out the birds in the sky, dogs, airplanes, and even a squirrel as we walked along.

Every time we approached a tree (which was often, as we were hiking in the woods!), Ben would gleefully blurt out “teee,” and reach out to try to touch it.

I was struck by the complete wide-eyed wonder with which he viewed every tree – as if each one was different and special and possessed by some magical quality. The eyes of a child are open to so many things that we’ve learned to overlook, pass by, or simply ignore.

Wouldn’t it be cool if everything we encountered brought us joy? If we were able to see the world through a lens of child-like wonder?

Interestingly, all it takes is a little practice to re-learn how to “see.”

Some time in the next few days, make an effort to look at something you haven’t given much thought to lately. Really look closely at its shape, color, texture, etc. If you had to describe it to someone wearing a blindfold, what would you say? Use your other senses too. Does it make a sound? Does it smell? What does it feel like? You may want to jot down some of your observations.

After trying this exercise a few times (try it outdoors with trees, rocks, bushes, ponds, streams, etc.), you’ll likely start to notice things you weren’t aware of previously. As with anything else, the more you practice, the more proficient you’ll become. And you’ll become more attuned to the joy and magic in what was once invisible.

When I headed out at 2 p.m. it was a balmy 72 degrees outside, but the sky was black to the west and the wind was gusting to 30 miles per hour. Within 15 minutes the rain began falling, but in another 15 minutes the storm had passed, the temperature had dropped to 55 degrees on its way to the 40s, and the sun was starting to peek out from behind the clouds.

As I was heading into the grocery store, it began to sprinkle again – but the sun was still out. So naturally, I turned around – and saw a full rainbow beginning to form. I stopped and watched as it got more vibrant against the dark clouds.

Soon I could see not only the full rainbow, but under the violet stripe were all the colors again – but in very skinny stripes. And to top it off – there appeared a second arc above the first – making a full double (triple?) rainbowIt was gorgeous.

I stood out in the drizzle a bit longer – and turned to watch the other shoppers running into the store, completely oblivious to the splendor unfolding just behind them. One lady did stop, noticed my smile, and said, “It’s beautiful isn’t it?!” We had a nice chat. I was grateful that I was able to share the experience, and I passed the rest of the afternoon with a smile in my heart.

A couple hours later, as sunset approached, it was again drizzling. I had just reached the mall, and was circling the top of the parking deck looking for a space, when the sun dropped below the clouds to the west and I was treated to ANOTHER rainbow!

Vibrant Double Rainbow at Sunset

Now that was a first for me – two rainbows in one day (and just hours after I had started this blog!) — and this time, I grabbed my camera as soon as I was able to find a parking space.

This rainbow wasn’t a full arc like the first, but it was double.  And it was absolutely the brightest rainbow I have ever seen. Ever.

And the coolest part? Three teenage boys with shoulder-length hair walking towards the mall were pointing and exclaiming, “It’s a double one!” as they took in the scene. They saw it. They appreciated it. And they were drinking it all in.

So how about you? On the rainy days when the sun peeks out from behind the clouds, do you turn your gaze skyward? Or are you too busy with your day-to-day life to allow yourself to be distracted?

Sometimes stopping for a moment to look at something beautiful is all you need to shake the doldrums. Getting out of your head and allowing yourself to “be” in a moment might just bring a smile to your face.