Give Light

We are in a time that is unprecedented.  Never has the world shut down and gone into what for many may seem bleak, dark, and cold.  All of us are being tasked with sheltering in place, limiting our movements to only what is necessary, and distancing ourselves from people.  For some, this is an easy order that has been given.  Maybe the isolation they experienced before is only extended into this new state of living.  For others, contact with the world was what helped them get through months of uncertainty that was already present within their lives.  What do we all have in common no matter which type of person you were before this virus destroyed everything normal?

We were all living our life without truly counting each moment as a gift and a blessing.  We went to our commissaries and said "hello" or avoided communication as we purchased food amidst an endless sea of choices.  We made our appointments for our health checks and took advantage of the talents of someone to keep us looking  pretty.  We'd walk into our children's schools on a mission but not always paying attention to those who were standing in front of the classroom.  Going through our closets and home making piles of what can be donated to someone else who may need those items more than we did.  A simple glance, a hello to a stranger, the laughter between teenagers during lunch time as they discuss prom-posals and looking forward to sharing more adventures together before they walked across a stage and into the next chapter in their life's journey, dancers eager to practice more for their performance, and the hug between friends all part of the ritual of a day.  Taking food to welcome a new neighbor knowing that the flour would be on the shelves so not only were we baking and sharing our gifts but that moment of sharing made us all feel part of the circle.  Part of our community.  Part of someone's life.  Part of the moments that make up our life story.  We have lost that all within one months time.

For some of us, we have been sheltering in place for almost a month.  For some, the shelter in place has just begun.  The news media loves to report the statistics.  They thrive on providing the panic in the dark.  What we need now is light.  Light that is already inside of us.  We were sharing the light with others before without realizing it.  We were encouraging without having someone tell us we should be.  We were participating in life without having someone dictate how we were to participate.  We were able to look at our lives and shed light in the darkness.  Now more than ever we need to find that light.  It is still there.  This virus is creating darkness but there is always a chance for seeking the light within our families.  Seek the light within your friends.  Those friends will be the ones who are calling so they can not only hear your voice but see your face.  They know you have light within you.   They seek it.

Give light and let the darkness fade around you and people will surely find the way.

Note:  

This post inspired by Mary Englbriet's Daily Calendar 

for 

Thursday, April 2, 2020