I need light

November, December and January are dark in this part of the world. After all, we are in the northern reaches of the northern hemisphere.   We’ve just passed the winter solstice. On Dec 21 the sun rose at 8:49am and set at 4:16 pm.  About 7.5 hours of daylight. That’s 9 hours and 35 minutes less daylight than on the June solstice.  But who’s counting?

Diane Frolov and Andrew Schneider wrote, “It is our unifying cry, ‘More light.’  Sunlight.  Torchlight.  Candlelight.  Neon, incandescent lights that banish the darkness from our caves to illuminate our roads, the insides of our refrigerators.  Big floods for the night games at Soldier’s Field.  Little tiny flashlights for those books we read under the covers when we’re supposed to be asleep.  Light is more than watts and foot candles.  Light is metaphor.  Light is knowledge, light is life, light is light.”

At his time of year I normally feel frazzled – after all, Christmas is coming and as much as I love Christmas there is so much to do. But this year, on top of the frazzle-ment, I feel dispirited.

The world seems darker.

I need light.

I am standing in line at the grocery store.  Irritated. Grumpy. Rushed.  I glance at the magazine rack at the next checks stand and 4 words pop out from the cover of a magazine.  Joy To The World.

Joytotheworld.
Joy! To the World!

I start to sing, aloud, but quietly.

Joy to the world the Lord is come;
Let earth receive her King.

As I slowly unload my laden cart I continue to sing…

Joy to the earth!  the Saviour reigns
Let us our songs employ…

And as I sing I feel my laden heart begin to lift.

In the darkness of these days I’m going to heed Professor Dumbledore’s words: “Happiness can be found even in the darkest times if only one remembers to turn on the light.”  (Thank you J.K. Rowling.)

So, I will light candles and stare at the twinkling Christmas tree and look at the sparkle in my granddaughter’s eyes and remember the star of Bethlehem and the love it represents.

In these dark days I will create some light of my own.

Who knows, maybe I can even shed some light for someone else.

Lydia Calder,
Sherwood Park Presbyterian Church