“Your job is just to be the light.”
That’s what my best friend e-mailed me the morning of my mom’s surgery.
It was such a wonderful reminder that when we have a loved one going through a challenging time, it’s the best thing we can do and show up and be present and shine our light on the difficult situation.
The day after I got that email from my friend, the fabulous author and speaker Liz Gilbert shared the first column that she wrote for Oprah’s magazine and guess what the topic is? You guessed it–Being the light!
She writes: “There are times when everything seems cloaked in darkness. You long for the light but don’t know where to find it. But what if you are the light? What if you’re the very agent of illumination that a dark situation begs for?”
As I have spent the past week in the hospital with my mother, being her daughter, caregiver, and advocate all in one, it is clear to me that “being the light” means a lot of things:
- Being the light involves being hopeful and optimistic during uncertain times.
- Being the light means simply listening.
- Being the light means staying calm and peaceful in my own experience so that I may share that with my mom and she can draft (like what they do in cycling) from me.
- Being the light also means shining light in the dark places. Being willing to ask the difficult questions and being willing to have honest conversations.
- Being the light also involves inviting others to be the light too. You’ve probably heard the saying “Thousands of candles can be lit from a single candle.” It’s true.
I am finding this week that it is a reciprocal illumination. By asking for prayers and support, people that I know and love are showing up in droves beaming me and my mom their love, light, energy, prayers, reiki and overall good juju.
They are lighting MY candle every day and keeping my candle burning so that I can go, in turn, and be the light for my mom.
Think about your life for a minute. Who can you be the light for?
- Your child who is having a difficult time in school
- Your partner who is being challenged at work
- Your parents who are struggling with the side effects of aging
- Your friend who is having a difficult time in her marriage
- Someone in your church who is feeling lonely and lost
- A neighbor who has a sick loved one
- The homeless person that you drive by each week on your way to church
I invite you to show up and shine this week just by being your lovely beautiful kind caring self. It’s amazing what a smile from a stranger, a text message saying “I’m thinking about you” or a card in the mail can do to lift someone’s spirits.
Go be the light and shine on!
Elizabeth