Eye - 15 March 2024
From Glimmers of light and love to Well-loved phrases
Glimmers of light and love
Setting aside the Eye mask for a moment, and (fair warning) getting more serious than usual, I wanted to share something with you, my trusty readers.
I was bereaved in November last year. I lost my mother, who was not only my best friend but the person I was a carer for and lived with.
My intention with the Eye page is always to bring something to you each week that is lighthearted and community-focussed, like a particularly-tasty biscuit dunked into the post-Meeting cuppa after worship. That will never change – keep those contributions coming! But my recent experiences have shown me the vital importance of the small things, the tiny glimmers when the darkness feels overwhelming.
One of my mother’s favourite quotes from Quaker faith & practice (19.03) was: ‘I saw also that there was an ocean of darkness and death, but an infinite ocean of light and love, which flowed over the ocean of darkness.’
Many of you reading this will have had experiences of grief. There will be others facing health problems, financial challenges, changing family dynamics… the list could go on. Faith can get us through dark times, but so can solidarity.
I wonder, can the sunshine pages also be a place where we share the tiny glimmers that touch us? Can we help hold each others’ hands as we navigate tricky times? Every ocean is made up of the smallest droplets.
I share my vulnerability with you in the hope that these words will resonate with someone, but I’m not asking that anyone else feel exposed in order to share those tiny glimmers. What I hope is that we can share the light and love that we experience, no matter how small or everyday, to help shine a light for someone reading this who might be in darkness.
And I mean tiny, Friends. This is not the place for grand or weighty things – they have a home in the other pages of the magazine. This is a home for a memory, a moment, an unintimidating act of kindness given or received, something silly, something peaceful, something that has helped you. Whatever has touched you, would you be open to sharing it with me so we can add a different kind of sunshine to Eye?
I offer this invitation openly, with no pressure, only hope.
Let me start with one of my own. My favourite time of day is the hour before bed, when I curl up on the sofa and one of my cats joins me.
When they nod off and get completely relaxed, usually with paws in the air, tail draped over my knee, nose beautifully lit by the warm light of the lamp… suddenly there’s a stretch, reaching right to their tippy toes, followed by a deep, contented sigh.
No matter what else has happened that day, that makes my heart full. The sweetest of souls, trusting and peaceful.
What glimmers of light and love have warmed your heart?
Well-loved phrases
Eye invites you to contemplate well-loved phrases from Quaker texts by picking up a pen or pencil and colouring, doodling… whatever moves you! This week, the phrase is from Quaker faith & practice 11.02.
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