The Dawn

Woods At Dawn - Fiona Abel-Smith, UK

Early morning. Outside, rain drenched woods are coming to life. Birds call, twitter, shout – the first sign of pending dawn as the sky begins to lighten. The nights wind has calmed, yet still thrashes branches – black shapes against the light gray of the sky – lustily about. From blacks and grays the woods take shape as darkness loses it’s grip with the oncoming light. Green takes it’s place in the palate, a myriad shades. From the verdant green of the grass to the wispy green of newly budded bushes under the canopy of the trees. Morning has come, with it increasing clarity and focus. The woods teem with life seen and unseen, heard and unheard. A gray shape bounces out of the shadows at the sound of my door opening to let in the fresh air and put out the garbage – our three legged cat home from his night’s prowl ready to avail himself of a warm body to cuddle, a bowl of food, and a soft place to sleep.

Dawn ALWAYS comes. It is the truth that I must choose to remember when I am in the dark. Light ALWAYS returns, and with it vague threatening shapes become the familiar topography of my life. Sometimes in the darkness all I can do is wait – for dawn, for light, for clarity. These days I do not wait alone, my friends – the family of my heart – stay close by, keeping a hopeful vigil as we wait for the light to return to my heart.  Nor do I wait for long – the interminable days, weeks, months of habitual darkness retreat more quickly each time I pass through.  I found my way one time – one agonizingly long arduously difficult time – and each time as soon as I realize where I am I have the tools to find my way again.  Each time the turn around time is shorter, each time the darkness holds sway over my life for a shorter interval.  Now I do not even need to fight, just remember, choose, trust, look to the Light, and it is there more familiar and infinitely more welcome than the dark.  A new day, a new beginning – ANYTHING can happen.