I walked down my street in the early evening with two of my dogs, who eagerly pulled me along with their own agenda, but I found myself wanting to slow down the pace… to feel the intimacy of this moment. It wasn't my usual fascination with what these humorous characters on leashes happened to notice with their ultra-keen senses. No, I am gliding, feeling something so comforting and familiar… something from my earliest childhood memories. It is these magical, sparkly-colored lights playing along a roof line, or strung through bushes and trees, or the multiple other props sprinkled throughout a yard.
The wind pushes with more intensity, giving promise to usher in cooler air. After all, this is late December. Another year, and once again, I did not put up any lights, but the desire to do so is always strong. Those lights beacon to my heart to join their shinning moment in a dance of joyous illumination. Radiance that we all need to brighten our shadowed spirits, now more than ever overloaded with so much heavy news and the burdens of misery on our grossly populated planet.
I find myself searching for ways to stay aware without being a physic sponge. It seems more difficult to separate out the harsh realities - global warming, extreme weather - drought, floods, hurricanes, earthquakes, another 100 or so species gone extinct, a few more 1000 acres of rain forest decimated in one day, huge numbers of sea life found dead on Gulf Coast beaches, plastic found in every living cell of every living creature on earth, out-of-control corporate corruption, heartless animal abuse and cruelty, endless, greed-driven wars and all those who suffer the severe effect, drones killing more innocent civilians - mostly wedding parties with many women and children attending, or perhaps another, closer-to-home version - children killed in an elementary school along with a few of their devoted, loving teachers.
I find myself searching for ways to stay aware without being a physic sponge. It seems more difficult to separate out the harsh realities - global warming, extreme weather - drought, floods, hurricanes, earthquakes, another 100 or so species gone extinct, a few more 1000 acres of rain forest decimated in one day, huge numbers of sea life found dead on Gulf Coast beaches, plastic found in every living cell of every living creature on earth, out-of-control corporate corruption, heartless animal abuse and cruelty, endless, greed-driven wars and all those who suffer the severe effect, drones killing more innocent civilians - mostly wedding parties with many women and children attending, or perhaps another, closer-to-home version - children killed in an elementary school along with a few of their devoted, loving teachers.
I woke up this morning with a sore throat, just a few days before Christmas. There is a real winter chill in the air and the wind means to bring it into my poorly insulated, 1950's built home. I will devote myself to healing, as I intend to be with my loved ones for this time of giving. But I know why those little, twinkling lights called to me.
Since our very first moments on earth, with our sense of wonder and reverence for the sun, the moon and the infinite stars… from those first mesmerizing fires we wantonly stared into, as they gave us warmth from the cold night air while they cooked our food, to the eventual making of stoves, fireplaces, candles and lanterns to brighten our darkened paths. We are always induced with the primal need for light and its endearing warmth - an equation that speaks of love. It is part of who we are. It is in our bones - our genetic DNA. In a time when most forms of luminescence comes from the energy of a power plant, I still see why I am so entranced with the magic of Christmas lights.
It is my prayer that the warmth of the brightest light shines into the darkest corners… into those moments of desperation and our sad loss of purpose… that we all may remember who we really are and through the glorious light within our hearts, we are one with the brightest, most divine source. Namaste.
“Darkness cannot drive out darkness: only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate: only love can do that.”
― Martin Luther King Jr
“There is a crack in everything.
That's how the light gets in.”
― Leonard Cohen
“How far that little candle throws his beams! So shines a good deed in a weary world.”
― William Shakespeare
“We can easily forgive a child who is afraid of the dark; the real tragedy of life is when men are afraid of the light.”
― Plato
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