Homebodies - Night lights
- Details
- Published on Monday, October 29, 2018
By Rita Friesen
Neepawa Banner & Press
As I sit and chat with you, it is close to ten of the pm. The dogs and I have completed our steps for the day. The air was brisk, refreshing. The cold seeped through the denim of my jeans and chilled my legs – that tingling winter feeling. As we briskly covered the blocks, the wide variety of yard lights struck me.
We passed a fire breathing dragon, countless pumpkins, ghosts swaying and dancing, a big black cat, and Halloween images floating on garage walls. There were also strings of lights, more festive than the immediate season, and I recognise that while a farmer makes hay while the sun shines, we try to get up our Christmas lights before we freeze nose and toes putting them up. Some homes had decorative fall wreaths and arrangements; one had a pine cone and ribbon wreath. It would appear that we are at a crossroad of holidays.
It is wonderful that folks embrace the seasons and embrace displaying their passion for it- whatever the season may be. I never have been a Halloween fan. Not in my customs – other than the afternoon party in elementary school, complete with a homemade costume, games and treats. Perhaps it was living way out in the country, surrounded by conservative families, that squelched that fever. I do love Christmas, need a few blue lights, but wait until the Saturday before the Sunday of Advent to get into that season. Also a custom from my early years.
The other light that I observed in the night walk was the moon. So nearly full that I needed to look twice to see which portion was less than round. The moon was glorious. Strong enough to cast shadows. Strong enough to brighten the unlit portions of the streets. Not strong enough to entice me to try the Trans Canada Trail east of the hospital. Perhaps if I had had a cohort?
I marvel at the wonder of a wee small light in a dark night. A candle, a flashlight, a cell phone. Their rays dispel darkness, comfort and encourage. I understand why some, not all children, (and by that I mean also adults!) appreciate a light at night. That glow in the hallway prevents one from barking their shins or slamming a shoulder as we lurch to the bathroom.
One remedy for insomnia suggests counting all the little lights in your home rather than counting sheep. The one on the microwave, the television, the clock, the stove – the list goes on, there are a goodly number of them. Now, in the darkness of the midnight, the flash of my Fitbit looks bright!
We have come a long way. Those early prairie years when the glimmer of light implied a farm yard. A lamp in the window shone a long way. The yard light broke the darkness and then the dusk to dawn lights went a step further. Do we see the stars? Do we marvel at the northern lights? Is the lightening storm as dramatic? Perhaps it is time to step away from as much man made light as possible and appreciate more fully the God given ones. A metaphor with many meanings.
