The power is out. Reason unknown. A hot pre-summer day in Texas. I tell my son to take off his shirt. Don’t open the outside doors. Don’t open the fridge or freezer. Move as little as possible. It’s going to get hot… fast. And who knows how long this will last.
I sit by the window. Sunlight peeks through the blinds just enough to shed some light on my journal. And my soul. The house is quiet. A moment to think. Some time to reflect.
Lost in thoughts about to-do lists, I notice the sun slipping away. The room is getting darker. I light a candle and instantly I’m surrounded by a beautiful space for self-exploration. I turn to a new page in my journal.
Dare I go deep? To the depths of my inner workings? Do I let my inner darkness out to play with the darkness that surrounds me? Or do I keep it inside, hidden behind smiles and laughter?
Just as I consider baring it all, the house lights up. The silence is broken by beeping appliances and the kids’ excitement can be heard through their closed door. The clocks are all blinking. The hum of the air conditioner can now be heard.
I look down at the page filled with mundane reminders. My head hangs low. I had longed for a release. But when the lights came on, the darkness within me had scurried back to its corner.
Maybe next time.
