Shine A Light

The Void is a precarious place, appearing and disappearing like an unstable wormhole in space. Sometimes it's clear that one is skirting adjacent to a Void, and one has slippery hands that will lose their grasp on the rocks and precipitate an inevitable downhill roll into the Void. Other times, one will be walking along serenely in the warm sunshine, and unexpectedly trip over a tiny, seemingly inconsequential rock. Suddenly, there is a nauseating plummet headlong into the darkness of a previously unseen Void. Thud. There's the bottom.

The Void may be large or small; echoing or silent; stifling or oddly, blissfully solitary. We know we can't live in the Void; yet escaping, as we always must, can be arduous and exhausting. Sometimes we must sit in it for a while to build the momentum and stamina to make the climb out.

Sometimes -- especially when one has recently spent time within the Void oneself -- it is abundantly clear when another has also fallen into a Void. That's a tricky place to be -- peering over the edge of someone else's Void. One never knows the exact size or shape of another's Void; tempting though it may be to wave one's arms and shout "Over here looks like an easier climb!", the truth of the matter is, only the person in the Void can truly know what is required to emerge from it. One can throw a rope, and hope that it serves as a useful hand-hold rather than accidentally klonking the person in the Void on the head. One can shine a light, and pray that it serves as a beacon to show some paths forward instead of irritating the other's eyes while they adjust to the darkness. One must tiptoe along the edge and offer just enough presence to let those in the Void know they have not been abandoned, yet not so much nearness so as to impede progress, or worse yet, unintentionally dislodge boulders that may fall harmfully into the others' Void.

Precarious unavoidable Voids: I know they are part of the journey; how I wish at times that they were easier to conquer.

I shall wait here with my flashlight. I am near, and will help in any way I can -- even if the best way to help is to do nothing.

Fear not. The way out is there. You will find it.

Through adversity, not only are we given an opportunity to discover our inner strength, we are also given the gift of foresight so we can shine a light for others who go through the experience after us. - Rachael Bermingham