Letting in the Light
March 14, 2011
There is a crack in everything;
That's how the light gets in.
Leonard Cohen, Anthem
The earthquake and tsunami in Japan and the aftermath thereof is a sobering reminder of how fragile our human lives are, how little “control” we really have. The quake shifted the Earth’s axis, a shift that will affect the seasons and the length of the day, shortening it by an estimated 1.8 microseconds. (You can read more about this here.) Scientists believe the changes will be subtle and won’t be seen for centuries, but the very idea that the Earth can be shifted on its axis amazes me.
It seems 2011 has gotten off to a rough start. As hard as I try to remain positive about the future, I don’t see a lot of good things going on out there. I’ve had to limit my news exposure because I’m feeling a bit fragile, a little cracked. The good news is that light comes in through the cracks—and light is my word of the year. I have to believe that the cracks will provide a way for the light of change, the light of new experience, learning and blessings to stream in.
Here's to letting in the light.
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| Photo courtesy stock.xchng.com |
8 comments
Blessed are the cracked, for they let in the light! Hang in there. It is a bit rough going right now, and yet, I think it is these types of events that most serve to remind us of our blessings and to be grateful for them.
ReplyDeleteI love Laure's first statement above!
ReplyDeleteMy response is when the world seems to be having too many big, bad things happening we have to stop, breathe and look for the little, yes little positive things. Things like my nephew and his children's tickets back home to Japan being changed so they got safely back the day BEFORE the earthquake struck (they live in the south in Sasebo). Things like trees beginning to sprout their new leaves showing the seasons really do change, it's not going to be winter forever. You are the list maker so make a list of the tiny good things that happen each day. The sun peeked out from the clouds, heard a bird singing, and so on. I know it's hard to do because when I feel like you I find it hard to find anything good. I've even taking to making myself smile just to try to beat that foul mood back. Good luck. Hope things truly look better soon.
Did you see that old Japanese couple on the news? The ones who were mucking out their store? Now there is some optimism for sure. I hope they succeed and hope you do too.
Laure--Very true.
ReplyDeleteTimaree--Definitely agree with Laure, too. While I am saddened and sobered by so much that is going on in the world, I personally am not suffering. If I concentrate on all that is pleasant and sweet in my life, I am happy. As a matter of fact, I did see the couple on the news. So many remarkable people in the world, aren't there?
ReplyDeleteThanks for the encouraging words. Glad your nephew and his family are safe!
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ReplyDeleteJacqueline--Thank you so much!
ReplyDeleteLovely post on a difficult subject. It's heartbreaking to read about and watch news coverage about Japan. You want to be aware of what's happening but it can be overwhelming as well. These things always put life in perspective and those little annoyances somehow seem really unimportant all of a sudden! It's very important to have hope, though, so I love your idea of letting in the light!
ReplyDeleteDanielle--Yes, it does put things in perspective, doesn't it? I'm trying not to obsess over what's bad, and to be thankful for all the good in my life.
ReplyDelete