The Burning Bush... It's all about the Light!

It's odd how sometimes when "death" is about to occur, there seems to be a burst of light or a glow that increases first. In a few days, this tree will lose this beautiful fire burst and move into a quietude, a death of sorts. I couldn't resist reflecting on the burst of light I saw today as I passed by this tree and quickly took this picture, because the wind could start up and tomorrow, this could all be gone. All the many months of faithfully responding to the gift of light that this tree has tended to, storing up the light and making food to nurture herself and the world around her, without a thought about 401 k s and putting aside for the kids college fund. She has just quietly open her arms and been receptive to the gift of light.

When my friend, Cindy, was in her last year of life, waiting for her brain tumor to take her quietly in sleep I noticed something extraordinary about her appearance: her skin seemed to have a glow about it. With each day it became more and more transparent and a light seemed to emanate from her. It was then that I started making lanterns out of clay with a dancing figure. Each night I would light one in her bedroom, thinking, that if she should awaken in the middle of the night she would see this and it would cheer her on to move more fully toward the light I knew she would eventually see as she swung to the other side on the same gossamer thread of grace she had come in on some 52 years earlier. I guess, I aspire, too, as this tree, my friend Cindy and all of creation does to catch the light. There are many times that the lure of drama or the loud monkey mind or the dark ninja thoughts can creep in and distract me from the real work of being a Light-Magnet. When my friend made her transition and she and I learned to communicate she told me that the best way to describe what she is like now is like liquid light. " When you are over there you are a "solid" but, over here is is more like liquid light. Don't forget to focus big time on the light, K, it's all about the light!"

I am grateful that we are returning to standard time this weekend. It is just another reminder that in someway, we are trying to make the best use of the light. It is less about doing something to time and more about the light, for me. Maybe this is another reason for the sacredness of this time of year and all the celebrations we are preparing for. It's all about the light!