The Rainbow In The Dark

'The rainbow in the dark', it’s just a simple and “coloured-pictured” way of referring to those times when, in the middle of the struggle, you find something to hold onto. It could be anything or anyone: a friend, a counsellor, a song, a laugh, a simple gesture or that insignificant second when Nature winks at you somehow. Then you ground yourself back to you and your present and that has become a “game-changer”.

Or it could be the deep foundation and the sense of fellowship that you get after taking part in group support. Other individuals can relate to you (and you to them) and yes, it’s still cold, dark and scary sometimes “out there”, but memories have been expressed, voices have been heard and lessons have been shared and learnt.

It’s a pain and a relief, though, to know that you have not been the only one who has experienced situations of abuse whose scars might be forever. In an ideal world, I wouldn’t be writing these words and you wouldn’t feel compelled to read them. In an ideal world we wouldn’t hurt so deeply and personally as we do, but life stories are never totally fair or lineal.

The rainbow, after tears and warmth -in whatever form and shape that it could take for you- it’s colourful, diverse, resilient and flexible. It’s that little teaspoon of “sweetness” that can make the bad days a bit more bearable. In the middle of the night, with the blackness around you, maybe even going against the laws or rational logic can comfort you a bit, and that’s so precious! What if down the line, at the other end of the arch, things are going to get better, lighter and brighter?

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Support:

Find out more about the group support offered by Edinburgh Rape Crisis Centre here.

Rape Crisis Scotland's helpline 08088 01 03 02 (6pm - midnight every night) offers free and confidential support and information. They offer support to anyone aged 13 and over, of any gender, affected by any form of sexual violence, no matter when or how it happened. They support survivors, as well as family, friends, and supporters. They can arrange for free language interpreters, including British Sign Language, to access support if your first language is not English.