All the variety, all the charm, all the beauty of life is made up of light and shadow.- Leo Tolstoy
Weds. Nov 29, 9 am, 30 degrees, blue sky with thin clouds, low tide, light north wind. Frosty on the grass and uplands. Firm sand to walk on. Sunrise was at 8:27, sunset is at 3:15 giving us 6 hours and 57 minutes of daylight today. And that light? It is low and long. The sun hits you right in the eyes. You can’t see if you are walking or driving into it.
It is very beautiful, the kind of light, I have been told by a friend from California, that they film car commercials in. Dusk, dawn, that golden warm glow. It highlights colors. It’s the kind of light you can’t plan a trip north to see, because the weather may not cooperate, for days, even weeks. There is a winter storm advisory for this afternoon. They say we may get six inches of snow.
These shadows make you look at everything more closely, and of course remind anyone who is paying attention, of the dark side of light, and how this world is full of both. I think we need the shadows to appreciate the light. The bad stuff in my life, while not a picnic, helped me love the good parts even more.
Sometimes it feels as if there is more darkness than light in the world. Especially right now. So pray, send a check, help a neighbor. Volunteer at the library. Be nice. Call out the haters–politely, but firmly. Do what you can as you are able. But don’t give up. Then, take a walk and look around. Here, we have much less light than most places, but you know, the light we do have makes up in quality for what it lacks in quantity, and the shadows– the shadows are absolutely amazing– don’t you think?
