One Picture, Many Perspectives

Looking upward, I catch my breath, the sun illuminating the thick clouds. I reach for my camera to capture the moment. I've become a bit of a memory catcher lately, and I am in awe of how surreal the lighting appears. The thinner, lighter clouds almost seem to radiate the light. It is the darker clouds that bring forth the truth. As they block the light, it becomes obvious that I am witnessing Mother Nature's backlighting. Free from the heavy burdens of thick water droplets, the lighter clouds transmit the Light.

However, if I change our perspective and zoom in on the thick, dark cloud, my view is blocked from my narrow focus. There is barely a glimmer of light in this limited view. The light still peeks through if I really focus on the tiny peephole at the top of this photo, but it's more of a struggle to sense the light. In isolation, it seems a bit dark, but if I gaze upon it for long enough, and I'm aware that I'm seeing a cloud, then my thoughts become accustomed to the idea that the sky is a darker shade of blue.

In contrast, when I adjust the view so that only the brilliance and light clouds are the focus, my focus again is skewed. There is no darkness, no heaviness. It's beautiful, but I quickly become accustomed to this view. There are no shadows lurking or heavy droplets of water congregating to block the light. This view easily reflects the light of the sun's brilliance. This view is exclusive; it centers around lightness, eliminating all shadows and traces of burden.

Again, I have cropped the same photo to concentrate on another segment of the clouds. These clouds illuminated and radiating the sun's light. When I first glance at this picture, I am struck by the light. As I inspect the photo more closely, my eyes notice the thin, dark cloud floating between my camera and the white cloud. A shadow of darkness creeps by. It is light enough that it allows the light to flow through the small burdens of water droplets. It is this tiny bit of darkness that makes the white light even brighter. It is in the contrast and acknowledgement of both the light and dark sides that make the inner light glow even brighter. To deny one is to deny the other. In embracing both, art is born.

Again, I modified the perspective to incorporate both the lightness of living without burden and the darkness of living laden with the burdens of life. Together, they offer a contrast that keeps both in perspective. It is the darkness, the shadows if you will, that reveals the beauty of the whiteness, the Light. It is just this contrast that caught my attention, and I stopped, making time to take this picture.

I must make a confession. I am frequently struck by the original photo, but rather than relish in the contrasts that attracted me, I narrow my focus. I focus on the burdens that I feel laden with. It looks dark and gloomy indeed, and I struggle to see any light because the burdens feel so heavy. But, I'm an extremist so I do look for all of the light and the positives, and I find them and only focus on how beautiful and amazing the light is. I bask in the awesome-ness of it. When a shadow begins to emerge, in the past, I fought it, but now I accept it for what it is, knowing that this too shall pass. It's much more of a challenge for me to simultaneously embrace the burdens of my shadow parts as well as the beauty of the light that beckons me.

Life's about a balanced perspective that honors life and people as they are--not as I would have them be. It's honoring that with so many gifts and blessings that all truly is well.

Namaste,

L