Friday, June 20, 2014

Striving to find the light.....



I have been thinking about this topic for a while and Father’s Day seems to be a fitting time to share.  Sunflowers are one of my dad’s signs to me letting me know he is still with me.  The sunflower is hardy.  Last year at my mom and dad’s house I saw a sunflower find its way through a crack in the cement.

 I really took to the idea of the sunflower struggling to find the light which is a good analogy for myself as well during the last 15 months.  The sunflower as witnessed by myself, found a crack in the cement.  The sun came through the darkness into the small hole and the sunflower with its vibrant colors found a way to the light.

Each day I am working to find the light.  Finding the light is like making a choice to find those moments that bless us and memories to keep us going.

My dad always wanted me to visit Las Vegas.  He would say he wanted to take me to experience the city larger than life.  This past week Jeff and I ventured to Vegas.  While in the Balagio Conservatory there were so many flowers.  Sunflowers dominated the conservatory with their bright, bold and large colors.  It was a way for my dad to say “I am here with you.”  Physical death cannot separate love.  Love continues to grow.  Love continues to strive to find the light.  Against the odds love continues to win.  As the analogy with the sunflower peeking through the cement, love shines through to find the light.

As we made our way out of the Balagio conservatory I was standing behind another person and she had a bright colored sunflower shirt on (I mean who really wears that?).  This for me was confirmation that dad stood along beside me that day in the conservatory.  I pulled a quarter (another dad sign) out of my purse and threw it in the wishing well.  This confirmed that I knew he was with me.

Love wins.

My challenge for you today is to strive to find the light.  Even in our darkest moments, there is always light.  Search for it, find it, embrace it and let your love shine.  There is beauty in the struggle.  Just like that sunflower in the cement, it had to struggle through the crack to find and embrace the light.

What are some things in your life where you only see darkness?  Where can you look to find even the smallest of light?  Even though during the darkness you see no light, press on.   The cloud can cover the light in the sky, however that light never ceases to exist.  Light is always there.  It may be covered at the time and seldom seen. Just like the sunflower the light will find a hole in the cloud and radiate light down to you.  Just work on it and strive to find the light.  You may be a work in progress like me.  Some days I see that light, other days not so much.  When I don’t see the light I have to work harder to find it.