The revelations of light
“Darkness is full of possibilities.”
— Michael Leunig*

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Darkness or glow? Obscurity or brilliance?
Why not both?
In a dark –very dark year– like the one that just ended, there have been brilliant flashes of light. Sometimes, the thicker the darkness, the more powerful the sudden brightness seems to be.
So far, every time I noticed a flash, a simple glimpse of clarity, my only reaction was to run in its direction, in a frantic and meaningless race, believing that reaching it would be enough. That desperate race always ended, without fail, in frustration, watching the flame die out, disappearing without remedy, devoured by darkness.
I don't know what drained me more, the running around, or the futility of my attempts but, regardless of the reason, the day came when I understood that those flashes were not to be chased, but taken advantage of. I realized the light they shed revealed, among the shadows that gave way, hidden things whose existence, until that moment, had remained foreign to me. And so I began to identify tools to help me move across life's room once the darkness embraced me back.
Yes. Tools. Flashlights, matches, and lanterns to help me create, by my means, the light I so needed.
Consequently, I learned that was what I had to do: look around and notice what I couldn't before. Appreciate my achievements, the moments shared with loved ones, the hard-won victories, the warmth of reunion, and so many other things that I seemed to ignore instead of using them as instruments in my moments of greatest despair.
That was all.
Ponder. Observe. Remember. Stop wasting so much energy and time running after something ungraspable.
Perhaps, that is the only thing we can do with the radiance hope brings. It is always easier to see under the light a smile sheds. Elusive happiness, does shine upon arrival, and it is vital to take advantage of its brief presence to spot what is within our reach, what conquests we have attained, what obstacles we have overcome, and what progress has been made on our path.
What good is the glow if we can only chase it, but not replicate it?
A song says that "being able to shine is better than to just seek to see the Sun."
Well… I got tired of seeking the light and drained of depending on hope. At the end of the day, the only one I can rely upon to produce actual changes in my existence is me.
No one else.
I own my darkness. It belongs to me. It has no other master, but it will affect those around me if I let it.
Over a year plentiful of dark days, I have come to understand –maybe just out of good fortune– that shadows are an indication of light's presence, not darkness. Or perhaps that is how I prefer to interpret it. So, during those strange moments of ephemeral luminosity, I have devoted myself to examining my life and what is around it; to appreciating those small triumphs that I'd so easily forget before, and to scrutinizing every inch of my existence while the glow allows me to.
That's all.
Use brightness as a tool, not as an end. I have already accepted that darkness will continue to visit me.
I have not given up. I have not given in. I have simply come to terms with that fact.
My victory does not lie in eliminating it, but in knowing how to handle it and in ending the fear of shadows because, once again, they are a sign of light, of brightness, of certain hope.
Yes... "darkness is full of possibilities." The difference is in how we look at it.
Thank you for being there.
Me? I am not going anywhere.
* Michael Leunig (June 2, 1945 - December 19, 2024), typically referred to as Leunig (his signature on his cartoons), was an Australian cartoonist. His works include The Curly Pyjama Letters, cartoon books The Essential Leunig, The Wayward Leunig, The Stick, Goatperson, Short Notes from the Long History of Happiness and Curly Verse, among others, and The Lot, a compilation of his 'Curly World' newspaper columns. He was declared an Australian Living Treasure by the National Trust of Australia in 1999.
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