Shedding Light on the Positives

I went from our garage to the kitchen, and noticed a golden haze filtering through the skylights. Then I saw the same light coming through the skylight in the bathroom. I returned to the garage and told my husband what I saw. Then I saw the same light emanating out from the shadow of the deck above the garage. It was a bit surreal for me.

When I looked up at the sky, the sun seemed to be as bright as an eclipse, even though it was surrounded by clouds. We determined that the cloud cover accounted for the light, and left it at that.

This morning, my husband pointed to the headline in the newspaper. Fires tint skies with yellow haze.

Aha! Smoke from wildfires more than 150 miles north central of Seattle is what caused the golden tint. Leave it to Mother Nature to balance something not-so-good with something that is good.

Isn't that the way it is with circumstances in our life that go wonky on us? We get stressed and bothered by what's going on without seeing the upsides, the positives, the benefits, and the lessons to gain. We desperately wait for the afterglow when the glow already surrounds us.

Don't misunderstand me; I'm not a fan of wildfires. They harm the environment, put firefighters at risk, and devastate the lifestyles of nearby residents. Breathing the smoke is harmful to those with respiratory ailments. I get that.

What I appreciate is that, even in their fury, the fires cast a glow that is welcoming and beautiful at the same time it heralds devastation and ecological disaster. Plus, as has been seen time after time, new life springs anew from the charred ruins of these fires, determined to prove that resiliency prevails.

Is this a bit of a stretch of the imagination? Perhaps. But I enjoy finding life affirmations wherever they show up and in whatever manner.

Look around. Take notice. What affirmation about life's goodness is standing right in front of you?

Comments

[Susan Straub-Martin]

I had been noticing that sky all day. It was strange and a bit eerie. But as we drove by the lake and saw the sunlight reflect off the water I stopped the car and took some video.

It is about being present to see what wonders are in front of us everyday. Great post Patricia!