I’m looking at a square of light on our pale bedroom carpet. In the middle of the square is a shadow tree, reflected from the window above our bed. Its branches are dancing in the morning breeze. Beautiful, I think to myself. And the prettiest part of the square is the shadow. Too bad shadows get such a bad rap. Why is that?
People are afraid of what might be lurking in the shadows. You can’t always see what’s in them, which makes them frightening. The unknown is disturbing. Years ago there was a gothic soap opera on television called “Dark Shadows”, that ran for five years in the mid sixties. I think I watched it once. Some people enjoy being scared. I would not be one of them.
Some shadows are friendly, like the shadow Ruby (my horse) and I might make in the arena on a sunny day. Shadow puppets aren’t the least bit frightening. My hand is creating a shadow now as I write this blog in my notebook. Interesting, but not scary.
There are shadows and then there is the dark. I’m not crazy about the dark. As our seasons change and winter approaches, days are shorter and the darkness is around for a longer period of time. For me, darkness is far scarier than a shadow. In the pitch blackness of a room you cannot see what is there. I read once that whatever is in the darkness will be there in the light. But in the dark, your imagination can create all kinds of monsters that could be hiding there, waiting to jump out at you. Unnerving, I say. When I walk into a dark room, I try to be brave, challenging myself not to turn on the light. But I still feel relieved as I exit the room . In the dark we are forced to rely on our hearing. In the light, it is our sight that guides us, something more reliable and therefore comforting.
Darkness and shadows are frightening because of their unknown characteristic. What could be hiding there? People who are comfortable with not knowing everything can probably navigate dark spaces better than I. They are brave souls.
Shadows are created by light, whether natural or artificial. I remember one of the first nights we slept in our home. I was glancing at our sliding door, covered by light curtains, which faced the back yard. Suddenly, a large shadowy figure passed in front of the ground level lamp my husband had set up next to a bush. I jumped up and told my husband what I saw. “Something big just crossed by the sliding door. You need to check it out – NOW!” Well, it turned out to be a rabbit or some other similarly sized rodent. In front of the light, it was as tall as a human being. It took several minutes for my heart to regain its normal rhythm.
Here are some of my favorite quotes about darkness:
Light can only be understood with the wisdom of darkness. Ka Chinery, Perceptions from the Photon Frequency
The value of sunshine is just because of the existence of darkness. Samar Sudha
Darkness cannot drive out darkness. Only light can do that.…. Martin Luther King, Jr.
In order for the light to shine so brightly, the darkness must be present. Frances Bacon
People are like stained glass windows. They sparkle and shine when the sun is out, but when the darkness sets in, their true beauty is revealed only if there is a light from within. Elizabeth Kubler-Ross
What are your thoughts about shadows and darkness?