Grief And The Season Of Light
Enduring Their Absence
It’s dark out there these days. The sun is setting early, it’s a bit gloomy and gray. The winter solstice is approaching and we’re all reaching for those candles and holiday lights to brighten things up a bit. Last week, I spent a few hours stringing lights across the bushes in front of our home. When I was done, and because it was a mild evening and just getting dark, I sat with our golden retriever, Maizy, for a few minutes on the front stoop with the lights glowing. I had some Christmas tunes playing on my phone and James Taylor was crooning “Some See Him” by Wihla Hutson and Alfred Burt. It’s a beautiful song and the message is diverse and one I cling to. I had a little sacred moment there with my sweet dog and holiday lights.
I know that this spiritual and religious season is a blend of many types of celebrations and I am very appreciative and respectful of that. One of the things I think these celebrations have in common is that we all are honoring light in one form or another; a star, a candle and strands of lights adorning cities, churches, synagogues, temples and homes all over the world.
I see the commonality in how we all reach for the light. I think reaching for the light and embracing it is how I, and maybe you, too, endure the absence of those who no longer walk among us. It’s a time when their absence is…
