Photostory Friday: The Virtue of Shadow

Hosted by Cecily and Lolli

I'm puzzled about how to even begin to write what I am going to try and say...

How do I tell you that I love the darkness?

How do I convey the idea that there is virtue in shadow, without you thinking there is something wrong with me?

We instinctively seek light. Light is life and hope, and it's easy to say that without the darkness we wouldn't know what light is -- and that's true. Without pain we don't know pleasure. Without sorrow, there is no joy. But, I'm not talking about the darkness that blocks our path and I'm not talking about evil.

I'm talking about the shadows we walk in freely.

Light is truth, but there's truth in darkness too.

I think there is a difference between turning to the darkness, and standing in the shadows, to appreciate the light.

And I think it's something we do again and again. When you love someone -- when you serve someone -- sometimes it's not enough to stand at the edge of the light and beckon to that person, sometimes you have to get behind them and push them forward, or even get below them to help raise them up.

If you are a good person, you have willingly walked into the darkness...and I know what you saw....

You saw that light is framed by darkness.

You saw that the shadows of life give us depth and dimension and definition.

You saw that there is a real and sublime beauty to walking in the valleys and deep forests.

You saw that sometimes there is virtue in standing in the darkness.