In dark times when it seems the world is coming apart like a letter in the rain, we look for light, for the end of the tunnel. As Leonard Cohen said, “There is a crack in everything. That’s how the light gets in.”
So here are a few places to look for illumination when you are feeling besieged or lonely or overwhelmed by events:
In the names of our children. Both of my granddaughters are light bringers. In granddaughter Ivy Lucia’s name, Lucia comes from the Latin “lux” or light. Ivy’s sister is named Sabrina Luz; “luz” is Spanish for light. I have no doubt these children will live up to their names, and that’s not just a proud grandmother talking. Who knows how far these children—or any child—will shine their loving light in this world?
In people who stand up against snollygosters. Snollygoster means “an unprincipled but shrewd person, especially an unprincipled politician.” Merriam-Webster dropped it from the dictionary for lack of use then felt compelled to reinstate it in February 2017. Watching America’s ongoing political drama, I think snollygoster is more fun to say than to live with.
In stories of heroes. Heroes do the right thing—even when it hurts. It seems the more heroes who disappear from our leadership, the more heroes Marvel Comics digs out of its archives. Martin Luther King Jr. said, “The time is always right to do the right thing.” Sometimes, I think we forget that we are living our own stories and that we are all on the hero’s journey.
In the sky. Look up. Whether you find the divine in a cathedral or nature, look up. Light is hope.
I am tired of darkness and being angry. I’m weary of worrying about the Monarch butterflies and melting icebergs and the world we are leaving to our children. I’m exhausted by the lies and the deceptions and the bullying. Aren’t you?
I’m so ready to snap on my sunglasses and turn my face to the light.
The world is cracked, and the light is flooding in. So watch out darkness bringers.
For now, we can see.
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In my cozy mystery series, yoga teacher Maya Skye would say, “Some people make it tough to believe in oneness.” But we have to keep trying. Look for Maya in Down Dog Diary, Warrior’s Revenge, and Crow Calling.
