“…There is always light...” is an excerpt from Amanda Gorman, the youth Poet Laureate’s contribution at the Biden-Harris inauguration. This phrase landed with me and then rippled out. In the poem there is a context: “When day comes, we step out of the shade…”
And it does seem like we are doing that now, stepping out of the shade — now, in January, as the days are getting longer, the light is getting stronger; now, as the vaccines are coming; now, that the fears we lived with these last several months/years are retreating, at least to a significant degree, and now, that there is transparency and decency in US leadership; now, that racism and equity issues are coming to the fore and being addressed at last; now, that environmental issues loom so large they cannot be ignored….and are being addressed. Now, at this season, and in our times, noticing the light seems like an uplifting reminder and appropriate focus.
What are some ways we can take in and savor the light? I think of incredible dawn skies, sunrise and, of course, sunsets, my favourite time of day. A child’s smiling face, flowers in bloom, a candle flame…I think of friends and friendship, connections and open hearts. A recent Daily Om is called Friends. Good friends bring light to our lives, and it can be reciprocal as well — we light up each other’s lives, even if just by a phone call, a Zoom connection, these remaining Covid days.
Sunlight creating chlorophyll creating green plants creating life. This gift is given no matter what… no deserving, no earning, no denying. There is always light. Praise and blessed be.
Here’s a quote from Marilynne Robinson I came across recently: “There are a thousand thousand reasons to live this life, everyone of them sufficient.” I love that, it lifts me u. And light is certainly one of my reasons. What are some ways you notice the light, focus on the light, relish and cultivate the light? I’d love to hear. We’re in this together!
Amanda went on to say, “For there is always light if we are only brave enough to see it, if we are only brave enough to be it.” Let us let that sink in, let us have the courage to see it and be it, in our own unique ways.
Once again, I’d like to remember Leonard Cohen‘s wonderful Anthem, There is a crack in everything, that’s how the light gets in…” so perfect for our Covid times and transition times: from dark to light in so many ways, important to remember that it’s that crack in everything, and that is where the light gets in.
Jill Schroder is the author of BECOMING: Journeying Toward Authenticity. BECOMING is an invitation for self-reflection, and to mine our memorable moments for insights, meaning, and growth. Check the website for a sample chapter, or see the reviews to get a flavor for the volume. Follow me on Twitter, let’s be friends on Facebook. 🙂
