Better to light a candle than to curse the darkness – Chinese Proverb
It’s a dark, wet, gloomy night….after a dark, wet, windy, gloomy day. We are presently under the influence of a “stalled nor’easter”, just the kind of weather that makes you want to stay in bed.
Lucky for me, though, I was scheduled to spend the day with 20 five-year olds as their substitute teacher. No outside play today, due to the weather. But we got along cheerfully anyway, with songs and stories, with crafts and hugs. Lots of hugs.
Its a brand new school, designed to be “green”, and very energy efficient. The large windows usually allow us to get by, happily, without (or with a minimum use of) the overhead lights.
But, today it was so dark.
I was compelled to keep the lights on. And when I did flick the switch off as we left the room to go to the library, the darkness was punctuated by the glow of the the fairy lights on the class christmas tree. That made for a very cosy place to return to with our fresh library books.
Even though it was only mid-afternoon, it was still raining when I drove home. As I dogged puddles and potholes (no way of knowing just how deep those bad boys are!), and with an eye on the overflowing ditches, I caught sight of a house in which a single candle was lit in the kitchen window. No other lights were on. A signal of hope, I thought. A sign of welcome.
What a warm sight, that little light, on a dark day.
Rose Bay Letters 