Light and Darkness

The Background:

This photograph was taken in Sequoia National Park in California. As I was driving out of the park, I noticed this small waterfall on the side of the road. The melting snow was flowing down this rock face, with amazing light giving portions of the scene a beautiful and magical glow.

The Message:

What struck me most about this image was the ethereal glow of the water. There is something otherworldly about the delicate flow of the water coupled with the dramatic lighting. However, if we take a step back, we will see that the bright glow is present in only a small portion of the image. The vast majority of the picture consists of shadows and darker shades. In fact, without those darker rocks and the deeper shadows, the light and the water would not stand out and would not be as dramatic. I think that realization can help us in our lives as well – the exciting, beautiful and meaningful moments in life are sometimes only a small portion of our lives – the mundane, the challenging and the monotonous can sometimes be the majority of our days. However, taken as a whole, we can appreciate that not every moment can be filled with light – but even the darker moments, help us appreciate the vibrance of the light and to cherish the glow that those moments can bring to the rest of our lives.

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