Now that the holidays have ended, and I ponder events of the past year, instead of traditional New Year’s promises I never intend to keep, I thought I’d stop and be thankful for the light. So, what does this have to do with a photo of the Orion Nebula?  No, it is not a delayed fuse on the Mayan calendar.  As mentioned in my previous post (December 21), we are not going anywhere, anytime soon.

If I paid attention to everything spouted by our modern, twenty-four hour access to news, with countries awash in violence, politicians incapable of doing their jobs, corruption, everyone’s broke, people getting killed … the list is long … it would give the impression the world is becoming darker.

It got me to thinking about the lyrics to a song by Josh Groban.

Somedays we forget
To look around us
Somedays we can’t see
The joy that surrounds us
So caught up inside ourselves
We take when we should give.

Sure, some of you are convinced ole DT got into cousin Billy’s special brownies, but I couldn’t help thinking the very media that peddles calamity with overabundance, tends to short sheet the better side of us.  Darkness sells papers. Light can be found in the back sections of the Sunday supplement.

Even with our differences
There is a place we’re all connected
Each of us can find each other’s light

Some theorize the universe began as a big bang, others believe the light was created.  Either way, must have been a whole lot of dark nothing before it.  Which brings us back to the Orion Nebula, a spectacular cosmic light surrounded by seemingly infinite darkness.  At times, it feels like the world we live in today, but what differs us from lifeless astral matter, is the light of our human spirit.  I believe the life light inside us all, is so much brighter than darkness skulking in the shadows.

So for tonight we pray for
What we know can be
And every day we hope for
What we still can’t see
It’s up to us to be the change
And even though we all can still do more
There’s so much to be thankful for.

Whether you are a spiritual person, or think we are just galactic hitchhikers riding stellar gas, the light of human spirit connects us all.  Knowing it’s there and working with it, is what prevents the darkness from becoming permanent.

I’m thankful for the light.

Have a wonderful New Year, and all the light you need to keep darkness at bay.