Alight

Alight
“Turn your face towards the sun
Let the shadows fall behind you”

This is a line I recently heard from Rihanna’s song, “Towards the Sun.” It made me ponder the presence of sunlight in my life, especially as an Edmontonian.

I think the sunlight is a beautiful dynamic being, but sometimes I forget about its existence.

At times when it shines so brightly, it takes careful consideration to be gentle enough so as not to blind my eyes. When it does so, it feels like a mother’s hug when she squeezes you tightly, with arms loose enough to give you room to breathe. This is the easiest light to take in and easiest air to breathe.

I seek the sun during the winter. Sometimes, I find it when I run outdoors. Many times, I’ve tried to catch it at the break of dawn, making sure it is met with a greeting. Then, I savour my moments with it until the end of the day when sections of it begin to disappear and it says goodbye.

Sometimes I try to avoid it by pulling the curtains over my bedroom.

Yet it comes back all the same.

I realize that it never truly leaves. Only I say goodbye to it for its presence remains, but where I am determines whether or not I can see it. Though I might forget or am unable to identify it and see it shining down upon the earth, it remains. It still keeps me warm. It ensures that the conditions on earth allow for life to thrive.

The clouds can be an obstacle, especially when they spread across the sky. It paints the world a duller grey.
But the sun isn’t the only one who shines.

Sometimes I find the sunlight in other people’s eyes. They peer into my soul and give it a luminescence that glows past sunset.

If darkness exists, then so too does light.

We can illuminate the world for one another. If we radiate kindness, love, and compassion, the clouds become marshmallows. Then, once you run straight into the clouds, you’ll find that they cannot harm you. Instead, they break apart and make way for you.

You’re never alone. The moon, the sun, and other stars continue to surround us.

And, we have one another.

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