When I was a child, I was terribly afraid of the dark.  I had, and have, a vivid imagination which would produce very real, very terrifying dreams while I slept, usually involving the “big, bad wolf”.  I would wake from my nightmares, heart pounding, ears on point, looking around at all of the objects in my room to make sure all was as it was supposed to be. 

Some nights I would flee from my bed and take shelter in between my parents as they slept.  Other times, my fear would overtake all reason and, sure that some danger lurked within our house, I could not bring myself to step foot out of my bed.  On those occasions, I found myself gazing at the dark sky out my bedroom window waiting for the first glimmer of light that signifies a new day.  I waited for that moment when the blackness would give way to inky blue.  Only then would my heart slow, my body relax, and I could once more rest easily.

Although I have grown out of my childhood fears, there are still moments in my life where I find myself waiting for that first glimpse of morning light.  We all face moments of darkness in our lives, whether it be the loss of a loved one, sickness, unemployment, broken relationships, big decisions or major transitions. Our fear, our sadness, our indecisiveness can all work to paralyze us.  We find ourselves watching for the morning light, because that first glimmer of a new day is our hope for tomorrow.