MacKenzie and The Rainbow Connection

With the recent closure of The Muppets at Disney, I decided to write this about my daughter and me. 



MacKenzie and The Rainbow Connection 

 

There are memories that become touchstones—moments so full of love and light that they stay with you, even when the world goes dim. For MacKenzie and me, one of those memories was wrapped in a simple song sung by a frog on a banjo. 

 

It was Rainbow Connection—a song that found its way into our hearts early on and never left. 

 

We both loved the Muppets, but it was MacKenzie who truly held them close. She connected with their kindness, their humor, their belief in dreams. And every time she sang Rainbow Connection, it was like watching her hold something invisible and sacred in her hands—something gentle, full of hope. 

 

Our favorite line was always the same: 

“Someday we’ll find it, the rainbow connection, the lovers, the dreamers, and me.” 

 

She’d close her eyes when we sang that part, smiling like she could see the rainbow in her mind, feel it waiting for her just around the bend. 

 

I remember one day in particular, late in her journey. It had been a long, hard day of treatment at SickKids Hospital. She was exhausted—her little body fighting so bravely. We were told we needed to stay overnight. The hospital room was sterile and quiet, filled with beeping machines and the low murmur of voices in the hallway. 

 

That night, after everything had settled and the lights dimmed, I climbed into the bed beside her. She was curled up, small and fragile, Sparkle the dragon snuggled in the crook of her arm. Sparkle had been with her through everything—soft, worn from love, with floppy wings and a slightly loose stitched eye. He didn’t sparkle on the outside, but to MacKenzie, he was full of magic. 

 

I began to hum the first few notes of Rainbow Connection, and her tired eyes lit up. She joined in softly, her voice thin but still carrying the tune. 

 

When we reached her favorite part, she whispered, “Mommy, I think the rainbow is where all the happy things wait for us. Like dreams and candy and Grandma’s hugs.” 

 

Even in the hardest moments, MacKenzie saw the world through light. 

 

As her days grew shorter and her body weaker, I kept singing to her. Sometimes she’d hum a few lines. Sometimes, I sang for both of us, holding her hand, Sparkle tucked beside her. Rainbow Connection became our lullaby, our link, our promise. 

 

I was singing it when she passed. 

 

Her breath slowed. Her hand never left mine. Her face was peaceful, like she had already found the rainbow she’d always believed in. 

 

 

 

I carry that song with me now, always. When it plays, I don’t just hear the melody—I hear her voice, feel her beside me, and remember the love that filled even the hardest days. 

 

Because the rainbow connection she believed in was real. She found it. And I know, someday, I will too. 

 

For MacKenzie, my rainbow— 

You found it, and I’ll meet you there. 

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