Skip to main content

The Waning Light


 

There are times I dread the waning light of day,

That golden hour which precedes the night.

The night brings sad memories.

The night brings old terrors.

The night brings lonely hours,

Sleepless hours,

Blackness filled with sorrow.

The darkness carries the quiet, the quiet commands the truth.

The night accentuates my aloneness; it echoes my fears.

The darkness makes me yearn for my children and for my loved ones long gone.

The night plays a melancholy tune in my head.

The night makes me yearn for the light of day when everything is new once again.

                                                                                ~ Author: Debi Tolbert Duggar

 

As a child I was terrified of the darkness;  the unknown night terrors outside my window or waking up in the middle of the night in a darkened room. I suppose there are any number of psychological explanations for that, most of which I have examined.


As I've aged, I still fear the darkness. Intellectually I realize there is no boogey man; it is the ticking of the clock, the end of another day which forces me to recognize 'what have you done with this day?' I hear the lyrics to the song  'Time,' by Pink Floyd: 


Ticking away the moments that make up a dull day

Fritter and waste the hours in an offhand way.

I think the last four months of a global pandemic has probably had an adverse psychological effect on most people - whether we want to admit it or not. Many lives have been disrupted. Many have lost loved ones. Many fear the darkness. Add to that, an alarming lack of leadership, a revolution in the streets, crazy conspiracy theories, and the assault of social media. 

I'm in awe of the people who can wake up everyday and preach a positive attitude, seemingly oblivious to the world around them. Not everyday is unicorns and lollipops. "If you are not outraged, you are not paying attention." I've been outraged for the better part of four years now. My fear of the darkness translates to my fear of the unknown, which in turn leaves my soul in darkness. And if you know me, or have read my book 'Riding Soul-O,' you know I'm all about the care and nurturing of the soul. 

If the soul is left in darkness, sins will be committed. The guilty one is not he who commits the sin, but the one who causes the darkness. ~ Victor Hugo

It is the darkness, the waning light, that has descended on our country. I pray for the light of a new day for us all.

Debi Tolbert Duggar, Author 'Riding Soul-O'
Part Memoir, Part Travelogue, Part Spiritual Salvation
Available at Bessieandme.com and online wherever books are sold 

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

#Scattered_TheBox

     Bree sat silent in the passenger seat of Della’s Range Rover as they drove away from the city towards Bree’s farmhouse. Della respected her friends silence, glancing furtively towards Bree, checking for what? Della didn’t know; was there a protocol for ‘how to act when your friend is told she has a few months to live?’ Della wasn’t sure and at this moment her heart hurt as if it were being squeezed by a giant hand intent on crushing the organ in her chest.       Della met Bree Maxwell at the registrar’s office in 1974 at the University of Chicago. Just two long-haired hippie chicks in bell bottom denims and crop tops among thousands, struggling to look cool while simultaneously overwhelmed by the process of registering for classes. The two became fast friends and shortly thereafter they met Tish and Ann, also freshman. The foursome became inseparable and forged a bond that has endured four decades.         Bree is the...
Post a Comment
Read more

Denali Backcountry Summer Road Trip 2016

Do you know the difference between a caribou and a reindeer? Reindeer fly! Just a little tour guide humor. The dark green, school bus looking vehicle pulled into the Denali Cabins gravel parking lot at 6am sharp to fetch the adventuresome travelers who were still chugging coffee in the early morning chill. It would be a 13 hour ride through Denali National Park, on the only road that slices through the 6.2 million acre par, and only 1% of tourists who visit each year, choose to do this tour. 1%-ers, that's us. Dave, our bus driver/tour guide seemed laid back and low key, so low key he was willing to wait more than 15 for a couple who were 'still in their room' when we arrived to pick them up. 38 1%-ers were on the bus and we were ready for the backcountry experience. Dave had a ton of history to share with us as we meandered to the park entrance, check it out online if you are interested. We were there to see 'the Mountain,' the highest peak in North America, Denali...
Post a Comment
Read more