Early morning

Finally the rain has moved on and this morning dawned clear. And cold, even though it's April and green life is sprouting all around us. Good thing God added hardiness to the blueprint of life.

I awakened with a miserable headache and a bad attitude. I hate when that happens. There are no good reasons, and the few weak ones I do have aren't worthy at all. I'm generally good-tempered, I love being where I am and doing what I'm doing and the wonderful women I live with. So what's the deal?

Our schedule changed this past weekend — we shift our days around about eight times a year, responding to the movement of the Earth around the sun rather than the clock. We all love this; it gives us a chance to meditate during the hour before sunrise. So it was deeply dark when I woke up. Now, more than an hour later, the sky is gently shaded with blues and pinks as the Earth rotates toward the sun. It's really gorgeous, and stirs the best in me, as it always does.

Maybe the deal is this: we carry a darkness within, and though it's not all (or not always) "bad", it's important to remember that my own shadowy potential exists and has power. If I ignored that possibility, then I'd also miss the wonderful things that occur only in darkness. Like new life springing out of the cold ground, or the sky subtly shifting from black velvet to pink.

Neither the headache nor the attitude will last. Darkness is sometimes scary, but light is more powerful and will always make the shadows disappear like magic. It's hard to remember all this when my head hurts and I feel like I could bite glass. Looking at the sky helps.

And it's a very good thing God threw in hardiness.