experience more:
We had a band of thunderstorms roll through this week. As I stood on our back patio watching the lightening glisten in the distance, I was caught off guard how even in the dark of night, with storms rolling in, there were these glimpses of light in the clouds above. The following morning, sunlight came beckoning through the blinds, casting shadowy figures across tables and floor. And again, I was stuck with the beauty of it all; the beauty we see when we look for the light.
Shadow is simply the absence of light…
As I sat with my morning coffee, listening to the birds outside my window, hearing the fountain trickling on the porch, I caught a small movement out of the corner of my eye. When I looked up from my book I realized it was just the movement of shadow. But surrounding that shadow was this brilliant white light.
The thought occurred to me that shadow is simply the absence of light; it is, in essence, a hole in the light. Something has placed itself between us and the light. It can be easy to see the shadow, to see the hole in the light, but when we intentionally seek out the light and focus our gaze on it, we begin to see beauty all around us.
Artists and Painters…
When I was in college studying as an English major, I was required to take an Art History class. I didn’t love art at the time, but the purpose was to teach me to write about something beyond my own interests. I learned a lot from that class, not necessarily about art, but about light.
Artists, painters, and photographers all study light and how it falls across surfaces. Film makers start and end their days according to the light. Seeing the world in context of where the light comes from, how it falls across the surface of our lives, how it interacts and changes an object, and how we feel when we absorb it, has the power to change our perspective and alter our outlook.
When we look for the light, beautiful things take shape around us. We see things differently, we forget the darkness around us, and for one solitary moment, we smile. We breathe more deeply. Our senses come alive when we look for the light.
Finding light in the world around you…
I laced up my shoes and headed out for a morning walk – as is my daily routine. There is something clean and crisp about the air following a spring storm. This morning was no different. I could smell the freshly tilled farm behind our apartment. The dew was still heavy on the landscaping. The park was a cacophony of birds song. Clouds above me were the most beautiful shades of gray and white against a brilliant blue sky.
Again, I was astounded at the difference it makes when we look for the light. Some might see lingering rain clouds from the night before. Others may dread another dreary day ahead. But when we look for the light we see things a little clearer, our vision becomes focused and clear.
We notice the dew drops, we feel the breeze, and we see more clearly the path that lies before us.
Light dispels darkness…
Sometimes I find myself struggling to find something buried deep in the closet, or the back of a drawer. It isn’t that my eyesight has faded [that much], or that the object is lost. It is simply the lack of lighting. But when we move to open the drapery or raise the blinds – or replace the light source – suddenly things become so much clearer.
When we talk about discovering home, simplifying life, or experiencing more, so much of it depends on our perspective; our outlook. So with that, I want to leave you with a little assignment for the next week: grab a notebook and pen, or start a list in the notes app on your phone – the method isn’t important – but I want you to look for the light this week. Look for it as it falls across your kitchen table, look for it as you drive to work, look for it peeking out behind dark clouds. Then, jot down what you notice when you look for the light. How do you feel? What do you see? How does your perspective change?
Breathe it in… breathe it all in. I believe you will find you experience more when you look for the light.
xo, Billie
You may also like:
- Light in the Darkness: https://forwardourmail.com/there-is-light-in-the-darkness/
- Light in the Darkness: https://shereadstruth.com/light-in-the-darkness/
- The History of Light in Art: https://onlineartlessons.com/tutorial/history-of-light-in-art/
