Our Lights & Lighthouses

 There are some “chapters” in life that feel especially challenging in each of our lives.  Thankfully, those parts of our journey can be eased at least a little by this word called, “love.”

You know that feeling that you have instantly when you receive news that is distressing to say the least?  For each one of us, those days come upon us like a storm.  What do we do to prepare for the inevitable storms of life?  Do we sometimes ask ourselves how to even begin to prepare for storms in this life?

Last week, one of those storms happened within a community that I love.  The natural reaction was shock & a sense of profound loss.  As a community, we began earnestly to find ways to do something to strengthen one another.   It became evident that each person had something incredibly beautiful to give to strengthen the community.  The extraordinary part was that we got to watch one another light the candle within one another’s spirits.  Each person made use of his or her gifts & gave this part of themselves to strengthening the group.  Individual egos were set aside.  It truly was something special to see the human spirit light up with kindness & concern for one another.

The thing that captivated me most about last week’s experience is that somehow along the way, this community had prepared for an inevitable storm.  You know that we don’t have any way of knowing what storms we will face in life yet the one thing that we can be pretty confident in is that the storms will eventually descend upon us. 

How do we prepare for storms?  What is in our “emergency kit” for the emotional or spiritual storms of life?  It will be different for each person.  For this particular community group, the “emergency kit” includes:  love, genuine care for others, hope, faith, attitudes of fortitude& stedfastness about doing “the next right thing” whether the seas are calm or stormy.  These emergency kits do not happen all by themselves.  It is about building relationships of care & giving encouragement, time & kindness day in & day out.  Then, when the storm hits, it does not mean that a community does not feel initially unsteady, but it does mean that the light of the group can withstand any force.

Quotes are something that I absolutely love.  The hilarious part is when I try to remember them when chatting with a friend & I get the quotation upside down & backwards.  That is just something that we get to laugh about together & that feels “exactly right.”  Each day, new quotes come into my email inbox that I subscribe to.  I love seeing these wee gems each day.  Last week, I could not believe my eyes.  Each & every day, the quotes that appeared in my inbox were all describing the power of light in this world.  There were so many that I simply could not miss the messages within the messages. 

One of the philosophies that I try my best to instill in our sons is that there are no “bad” people out there.  Instead, I explain that there are only “good/right” & “bad/wrong” behaviours/choices.  If we come upon a situation that seems to be filled with darkness, a quote that you may share comfort in is something like this:  “The brightest stars shine most brilliantly against a dark sky.”  (author unknown) If you & I are continuing to do “the next right thing” & we meet up with folks who are making decisions to remain in the dark, then what do we do “about” & “with” that?  One antidote that I have found  for that behavior is making sure that we have “flames” on our battle buddy team.  If your light becomes dim from the storm, the “flames” in your life can re-light your candle. 

When it comes to diabetes or other 365 health challenges, having an “emergency kit” can include more than the physical kit needed.  We are so much more than our physical selves I believe.  We are spiritual beings with beautiful souls that need an emergency care kit.  My heart says that the most important thing in our emergency kit is to feel cared about.  That means that no matter what storms come in life, we absolutely need to make sure well in advance that we have Dear Hearts who are going to be there to re-light our flames when needed.  We do this for others too it goes without saying.  Love is always a well travelled 2 way street.

Light is powerful.  It is life sustaining & this is not by accident.  When we think of lights perhaps we can close our eyes & envision a lighthouse.  Lighthouses shine their lights for miles so that passing ships do not hit the rocks.  The ship still rolls as rapidly as the waves however the ship is provided with a safe haven of knowing the power that is the safety of the lighthouse.

Each of us has an illuminating light within us.  And what is light after all most representative of or metaphorically like?  The answer is love.  Here’s the happy ending (you knew there would have to be one)…light & love absolutely last forever.  May you surround yourself with the caring lights in your life & weather absolutely all of life’s storms with strength.

Smiles, Saundie :)