Ground Hog & The Candle

Again, Rev. Kathianne Lewis of the Center for Spiritual Living here in Seattle had a great metaphor to share yesterday. First, let me summarize my take on her always highlighting Ground Hogs Day (today - Feb.2) as a high and holy day. Yes it's the day the news anchors talk about if the Ground Hog came out and saw it's shadow or not. Apparently that "predicts" if winter is almost over or not. Here's what else it is - the half-way point between the Winter Solstice and the next Equinox (I think I got that right?). Regardless, the point Kathianne was making is - just like the ground hog, we get to choose if we are going to face the shadow and let it grip us in fear or if we simply turn the other way - towards the light, and attract more of it - we dissapate the thoughts/feelings of fear (of shadow). Now we all know she's not saying don't deal with our shadow side - confront those fears square on and pretty soon I get to see how they are really tiny and figments of my imagination. But when I turn to the light that shines from within me - wow, wonders things happen. Most often they are very small things (e.g. like my 9 month old son smiling with pride at his first trip sitting in a front-facing car seat with me yesterday) and also show up in the big things (e.g. the day my son arrived in our lives - in 5 hours, from thought to reality). For the metaphor - Kathianne described how when we take a lit candle (our soul) and light another persons unlit candle - inevitably wax will drip from my candle when I do that. That wax is like the dust/the unwanted element of that exchange, it messes up the carpet. Instead - imagine if I simply stood/sat still and did what I do - shine my light. And when others are ready to discover and own their own light they may choose to take their unlit candle and burn it using my light - that is attraction my friends vs. promotion. Today, be the light you are, shine bright and have no attachment to any of it. In small and big ways - your light shines on us all.