The Festival of Lights, or Chanukah as it is better known, ended about a week ago. Christmas is five days away. Tonight is the Winter Solstice, which means that we will be experiencing the darkest day of the year. During a period of so much darkness, it is important for us to be able to look towards the glimmers of light which help in leading us to brighter times. I think it is very interesting that all cultures and religions find ways to associate light with this time of year. We seem to have an innate need to brighten our darkest days. The holidays which fall at this time of the year provide us with so many ways to "turn on the lights", so to speak.
This time of year brings out both the very best and the very worst in people. It seems that the darkness that dominates our skies, also overwhelms the spirits of certain individuals who insist on rushing around, being rude and not caring for others who might get in their way. I have seen this in parking lots, grocery stores, and on the roads. The craziness tends to reach a crescendo as we get closer and closer to Christmas.
Thankfully, there are also individuals who are filled with light. They are helpful, calm and generous. They exemplify the brightness of the season through both their actions and their words. They are a pleasure to encounter, and they remind us that even the smallest gesture of kindness can be the light that brightens someone else's day.
Reflecting on the light and dark of this season, I felt the need to express my thanks to those of you who have consistently provided me with daily glimmers of luminosity, during even my blackest of days. Living with a chronic illness can be a very disempowering experience. I try to focus on the bright spots of life, but there are times when try as I might, I just cannot keep my mind from wandering into the darkness that overshadows the light. Distracting myself by reading your blogs, be it funny, touching, thought-provoking or just plain real, can sometimes provide the spark that I need to move myself out of the darkness, back into the light. The comments that you leave for me, here, in my little corner of the world, remind me that I am not alone. Your words of gratitude, encouragement and understanding allow me to remember that I am still strong, that I still have a voice, and that I can still give something back, even if it is in a different way than I am used to.
As we move through the twilight of the blackest day of the year, I wish for you, the flicker of radiance that can come from an act of kindness. I pray that you will see the reflection of joy that you bring to the hearts of others, mirrored back at you through their grateful eyes. And I hope that in times of darkness, you will always find even the smallest of lights with which to guide you back into the brightness of life.
Whatever your personal celebration is, during this time of year, may it be filled with light.
I wanted to take a moment to share some things that lighten my heart. This first photo shows what is left of a prayer flag that my oldest angel and her room-mate brought home for me from their trip to Tibet. It hangs gently in our backyard and is a tangible reminder that we are constantly being surrounded and blessed by the prayers of those who love and care about us. Though it is exposed and often battered by the elements, its symbolism cannot be destroyed.
This is our sweet lap cat, Harley. When I found him, he was homeless and injured. He had been attacked by a hungry coyote, but obviously lived to tell about it. His journey into our family and his forever home, was a very difficult one, but he is one of the happiest, most easy going little guys that I have ever met. He has managed solitude over adversity.
This is a picture which was taken this past weekend of my angels and my dad. They call him "Pop-Pop" because that is the name that our oldest angel gave him as soon as she could speak. Angel daughter number three(wearing the blue shirt which matches her eyes) celebrated her sixteenth birthday on the first day of Spring. She is a sparkly ray of light, and like Spring, she breezed into our lives full of hope and brightness.(Her middle name is Hope.) Other than the deep connection which I share with my wonderful husband, these five individuals fill my life with more laughter and light than I could have ever believed possible.
This is Max. He is another one of our rescue kitties. He has a true understanding of the word "relax". When we adopted him, he adopted AD3, and he rarely leaves her side. 
And finally, in honor of AD3's sixteenth birthday, I just wanted to remind her, and my other angels, of this one last thought. You and your Dad will always be blissful reminders of how incredibly full my life is. Sometimes, I just have to stop in my tracks to hug you because you are my true loves. And there is not anything which can lighten my heart in quite the same way that you can...
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