Light & Dark

My Christmas tree has been sitting twinkling in the corner of my living room for over three weeks now, and only yesterday did I learn the history of it. I knew something about Norway & royal gifts, but I didn't quite realise the symbolism of it.

2009 has been a really tough year for me. And I know I'm not alone with that one. The global economic crisis has hit us all hard in the pockets, we have continuing war, genocide & an environmental crisis that is ever more pressing. And yet the world has always been a difficult place to live in, I just think this year I maybe removed my rose-tinted spectacles for the first time in a long time and have started to see things as they really are. Plus some really tough personal situations have also impacted me deeply.

I guess for me once I start noticing the darkness it can be really hard to see the light. Once I start being drawn into the negativity of a situation it can be really hard to see the positives.

But yesterday I was reminded by a friend that there is always a balance of darkness and light. How boring would life be without seasons? How dull would daylight be if we didn't have the night? So true. If we had everlasting life would we ever have the impetus to do anything? Balance is always needed. We need the dark times to enjoy the light times, the snow to enjoy the sunshine. Contrast is vital. I think I needed 2009 to be difficult to show me how lucky I had been in previous years, and to be inspired to take 2010 and make it a great year.

So back to that Christmas tree. The pagans celebrated the shortest day of the year, December 21st, and marked the occasion with an evergreen tree to represent eternal life and the continuous cycle of nature. Fruit was hung on the branches to represent the plentiful food to come. Candles were lit to symbolize the warmth and brightness of the sun. A reminder that although food was scarce & darkness was all around, things would soon change.

My tree is now inspiring me afresh, and reminding me that darkness is always present in the lightest of times, light is always present in the darkest of times. Actually it's in the darkest of times that our own lights can shine the brightest. And as the fabulous Lauryn Hill once sang "After winter must come spring". It's part of the human experience to experience sadness as well as happiness, and how beautiful to have these reminders to help us remember that like nature it's all just a cycle. No matter how dark things get, the light will return.