Finding Your Light

11_29_2022

Depending on where you live, we’re now in that part of the calendar year where we are spending more time in the dark than in the light.

As I have aged, I have found it easier to adjust to it getting darker earlier.  I used to dread the day that we moved back to Standard Time.  I’m not sure why it used to be so difficult for me.  Perhaps I hadn’t yet figured out how to appreciate spending more time in a calmer, quieter space.

Fortunately, I have come to appreciate the gifts that accompany less daylight.  First off, I am quite happy to move away from the hot, humid days that frequent July and August.  I welcome the cooling air that the Northeast is blessed with in Autumn.  Plus, the changing of the leaves offers us wonderful displays of beauty throughout this season.

My biggest challenge in Fall is putting my gardens to bed for the winter and preparing them for the Spring season.  And then there all of the leaves that these beautiful trees bestow on us for the next six to eight weeks.  Not only is raking required, but the leaves have to be bagged and then transported to the local recycling center.  This is a daunting task, but by now I’ve learned that if I start early enough on the garden tasks, and do a little raking, bagging, and hauling each day, the tasks don’t seem so overwhelming.  Probably some kind of life lesson contained within this experience:  Breaking big tasks into smaller steps is an encouraging alternative to waiting until the process feels overwhelming.

Once I’ve accomplished my Fall-related tasks, I have almost reached what I have claimed as my Nesting Period.  December is the beginning of winter in the Northeast, and it is also the Christmas season that brings with it many rituals.  Even though I’ve greatly simplified the ways in which I celebrate and embrace the Season, there is still a lot of work involved.  But again, I find that if I do a little each day I can actually have the time and energy to enjoy this period of time.

One thing that experience offers us is the insight on how to make time work in our favor.  Again, I’ve learned from past experiences what it is that I most I enjoy about the season.  I thoroughly enjoy decorating for the holidays, baking goodies and entertaining. These activities generally require attention during the time period that moves us closer to Christmas Day.  I can’t expect that I will be address these more time-sensitive tasks comfortably and still be able to find the time to shop for gifts, wrap and mail them so that they arrive in time. Plus, there are many fun activities to attend and enjoy as we get deeper into the Season, and these mean that one is not home attending to tasks requiring attention.

But the principal motivator for me for starting early is that I thoroughly enjoy many of the rituals associated with the Christmas Season.  I’ve learned to think of this period of time as a Season and not just one day of the year.  Over time it dawned on me that in order to enjoy the festivities available as we get closer to Christmas Day, I need time in my schedule to participate. 

I particularly enjoy putting up a live Christmas tree and decorating it. The colorful tree lights are what I most enjoy, especially when it is dark outside.  The lights for me add a level of joy and hope.

Recently released books have also heightened my awareness about the role of light in our lives.  When I heard Michelle Obama being interviewed about her new book, The Light We Carry: Overcoming in Uncertain Times, I knew it was a book that I would find meaningful.  Consider her words, “When we are able to recognize our own light, we become empowered to use it.” 

Just as we use a flashlight to find our way in the dark, our own light empowers us to move through our own darkness while providing encouragement to those in our midst.  I also like that she stresses that we each have to discover our own light, meaning that we have to celebrate our unique gifts and not worry about whether or not they are as good as others’ gifts.

Previously, I have enjoyed reading and learning from author and clinical psychologist Mary Pipher.  When I discovered her latest book, A Life in Light: Meditations on Impermanence, I was excited to read it.  And again, I was struck by how the term, Light, kept showing up in my day-to-day life. 

I’ll share her quote from the opening pages and will return with more insights as I delve further into her newest book.  “I helped people create more empowering life stories.  Without stories, we are without a self.  With only stories of loss and sadness, we are unhappy people.  However, we can all learn to craft healing narratives.  We humans are heliotropic.  With a little guidance, most people can move toward more resilient, more connected, and more light-filled lives.”

Let the lights of this Season bring you joy and help awaken in you “the Light You Carry.”