Darkest Days

Happy last-day-of February! I know this can be a tough month, but we made it! 🙂

Hope Flickers

It’s always darkest before the dawn,
or so the saying goes.
I beg to differ.

I’d say it’s always darkest when you feel alone,
like no one understands you,
like no one cares.

The darkest days are those
when you cannot think a happy thought,
when you cannot smile,
and all you see is the abyss of your mood,
deep and dark,
like a bottomless pit
pulling you down.

And then you see a glimmer.
You start to think that maybe someone does care.
You are finally able to see the
flicker of understanding in someone’s eyes.

Like a faint smudge of aurora,
your hope grows.
Although it flickers at times,
it isn’t long before
it learns to dance.
A breathtaking glowing curtain rises
on a new life for you.
You dare to hope,
you dare to believe
in something good,
something lovely.

Until one day, quite unexpectedly,
your smile erupts
and as though transfixed by an incredible aurora,
you stand in awe of the beauty
and potential
and boundlessness
of all your blessings.

When Times are Tough… Stepping into the Dark

When I step from a well-lit area into the dark, an interesting thing happens. My heart starts to beat a little harder and I feel almost like I am blind — I cannot see anything, so I turn my head from side to side and blink furiously. But in a very short time — ten to fifteen seconds — my eyes start to adjust and then I can see again. The longer I am in the dark, the better I can see. After several minutes, I can see almost everything around me and aside from reading small print, I can function totally normally. I bet you’ve experienced the same thing, moving into the darkness!

The same can be true in our lives. When you enter a “dark period” in your life, it feels very unpleasant and your heart starts to pound, too. You can’t see what’s coming up, or what resources or obstacles are around you. Your reflex is to stop everything — instinct won’t let you move unless you can see what you’re walking into. However, if you just wait a little while, the darkness begins to lose its edge, and in no time, you can start to see what is going on. If you stay calm, you can adapt and continue functioning normally. If you panic or think that this is the end of the world, even though your eyes are adjusting, you won’t be able to understand what you are seeing clearly. You won’t know where to go.

So, remember that if times are tough — or if you are remembering a skeleton in your closet that brings back those feelings that times are tough — just wait a little while and you will start to see clearly again. It won’t take long, I promise. It’s a good idea to pause while you regain your vision, just don’t stop there indefinitely. Once you can see again, you can move forward.

Take care, everybody!