Oma’s Rainbow and Logosynthesis®

Image credit: Cathy Caswell

“It's during our darkest moments that we must focus to see the light.” 
- Aristotle Onassis - 

Grief is an experience that touches every corner of our lives, often in unexpected ways. It is not a linear process but a deeply personal and unique experience for each of us. If you are grieving, you are not alone. In sharing my own journey with grief, I hope to offer a sense of connection and comfort.

When my mom was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s Disease in 2013, my life changed forever. My mother – Catherine, known by many as Oma (grandmother) – was a Dutch Catholic farm woman and was the true matriarch of our large family. No stranger to hard work, she held us together with unwavering strength and faith. I now see that my grieving began with her diagnosis, as her memories started to slip away. I remember the worry and sadness as she struggled to remember appointments and names. She continued cleaning and knitting long after these activities were productive and were a source of frustration for me at time. I tried to be compassionate draw on my strength in order to care for her. Even as her condition progressed, she continued to teach me lessons in resilience and love.

Our family gathered around her in her bedroom at home at the time of her passing. Moments after she took her last breath, a large rainbow appeared in the sky, right outside the living room window. At first, we barely noticed it, but soon, we all gathered by the window and onto the deck to take it in. In the midst of sorrow, this beautiful moment offered comfort and meaning. For our family, it felt like a message—a sign that Oma had made it to heaven and was waving hello with a wink. The next day, we saw one end of a rainbow over her home, while friends sent photos of the other end arching over the family farm—five kilometers away, on the other side of the Miramichi River. It was as if she was still watching over the place where she had raised her family.

As one of eight children, I felt a strong pull to write her eulogy, which I titled “Oma’s Rainbow.” I wanted to express appreciation for the values she taught us, including resilience, strength and faith. We learned to be strong and give our troubles to God. When she passed, sympathy cards from our Dutch relatives carried a familiar phrase: 'Samen sterk'—'Strong together.' While this mindset helped us survive hardships, it also had its limitations—especially in an extended family where not everyone grieved in the same way. The rainbow became a meaningful symbol, a bridge that connected us in our loss, allowing us to share in something beyond words.

Since that day, rainbows have taken on a special significance for our family. On the second anniversary of Oma’s death, another rainbow appeared in the exact same place and at the exact same time. When Queen Elizabeth died, news reports shared images of rainbows appearing over Windsor Castle and Buckingham Palace. Our family now shares photos when unexpected rainbows appear—such as the morning of my nephew’s wedding. These moments have become touchstones, offering comfort and a sense of continuity beyond my mom’s physical presence. Whether these are coincidences or something more, they remind us that love endures.

Oma’s rainbow helped me to restore my energy, offering a connection to both the energy of faith and the energy of nature. I also use Logosynthesis® to restore my energy. It offers a gentle yet powerful approach to feel more ease and find meaning in life, especially in the midst of life’s challenges. By noticing when I experience distress, I can gently shift the underlying memories and beliefs.  It offers me relief that is both immediate and lasting. In grief, I can notice when I dwell on painful memories —an unresolved conversation, a missed moment of forgiveness, the sound of a painful cry. This model helps release the energy bound in the memory, allowing grief to become a more fluid, natural process.

Logosynthesis® has supported me tremendously over the past ten years, for everyday issues and in more challenging times. As I use this model, I feel calmer, more present, and more able to appreciate the meaning in small moments—like the rainbow after my mom’s passing.

If this approach resonates with you, I invite you to watch an interview with Astrid Klein Lankhorst, a therapist from The Netherlands on the topic of grief.

Grief matters because love matters. While we may feel the need to be strong, true strength also allows us to grieve, to heal, and to experience joy again. Rainbows, in their fleeting beauty, remind us that even in the darkest moments, light can emerge. However your grief unfolds, may you find your own signs of comfort and meaning.