If you don’t live in the Northern Hemisphere, and don’t live in a little town of Cobourg, Ontario, Canada, you missed something glorious. And if you don’t wake up really early in the morning and don’t commute down the 401 towards Toronto, you missed something too.
You missed a most glorious, magnemous, full, and beautiful moon. There it was, in all its splendor, over the right median and above the slumbering forrest. When I turned, it would graciously turn also and shift with me to give me the pleasure of gazing at it for a a little longer before it disappeared.
You missed the beauty of nature this morning, but this is not about the moon, it’s about darkness and being happy to being where you are. Content to be who you are and striving to become who you are meant to be.
The moon didn’t pick me and if life was only about seeing the moon, I am sure I have missed countless opportunities to make eye contact with its light. But this is a little deeper.
This morning I had time to think, about many things, but in particular that the moon is best seen at night. At night there is nothing else competing with its beauty. The sun is warming and tingling the other hemisphere and the moon proudly projects the light we all long to see. This reminds me of Leonard Cohen and his beautiful song when he asserted that there is a crack in everything because that’s how the light gets in.
There is a crack in everything and there are moments and times in our lives where we are surrounded by darkness. Sometimes its tragedy and sometimes its just the necessity of living and of work. Night falls upon us all the time, but when it does, are we up at the right time, put ourselves in the right place, so that we can see the light? What do we do in those times to arm our soul and let that crack give us a glimmer of who we are.
Christmas is coming and I am always torn by its approach. On the one hand I am excited because Christmas means time off work, time with family and a time to celebrate and enjoy life. On the other hand I am conscious that for many people this is a sad and most unfortunate time. They drink more, they fight more, and they overspend their fragile budgets in exchange for some fleeting moments of joy.
Don’t forget about the moon. Don’t forget that you are great even when you don’t think or feel particularly great. Don’t forget that the moon is a testament that there is light on the other side of the world and its only a matter of time before it can’t help but rise again.
Don’t forget to believe in the moon. Never stop believing. Despite the news. Despite the thoughts in your head. Despite your many mistakes and failures.
The moon shines over the 401 for you. You just have to wake up early in the morning and head to work, in order for you to see it.
Cover photo generously provided by photographer Ganapathy Kumar via unsplash.com
