The meaning of lights

It's our duty to shine brightly
London, ON
January 2019
This photo originally shared on Instagram

At the risk of oversimplifying things, there are two kinds of people in the world: Those who are lights, and those who are not.

So-called lights look out for others, spend more time listening than speaking, go out of their way to be around when their presence is needed, even if it takes them out of their way. They speak of "we" instead of "me", and always find ways to make you feel better no matter what might be going on around you.

I've never made new year's resolutions because, let's be honest, they're useless. Wait an entire year to make a grand, life-changing proclamation on an arbitrarily defined day, only to abandon it days later because the weather was too cold, or you were too tired, or you simply stopped caring, or whatever excuse feels right in the moment.

But the concept of people-as-light seems to be resonating with me more strongly as we, collectively, navigate some of the darkest days of the year, and as we, our little family, do the same on a figurative basis. Simply put, being around the right people can make the difference between seeing through to the light on the other side, or not.

We're fortunate to be surrounded by countless lights, friends-who-have-become-family who have upended their own schedules to make sure we're ok. To say we're thankful is an understatement. We are truly blessed.

So, no resolutions. But focusing more on the lights while limiting our exposure to the lesser-lights sounds like a reasonable thing to do in the days, weeks, and months to come. And if we follow their lead and learn to shine brighter ourselves in the process, then we'll call it an extra blessing.

My question for you, then, is how will YOU be a light?

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About this photo: LED bulbs over a kitchen at the newly-opened Info-Tech Research Group office in #ldnont. Because beauty is always found in the smallest details, and in the margins of everyday life.

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