Brave enough

Hand drawn image created by Olivia Dickson

This week as we watched the inauguration of President Joe Biden, we also witnessed Amanda Gorman, the youngest inaugural poet in American history deliver her poem, “The Hill We Climb” with a precise and passionate purpose. Each word was exquisitely chosen and crafted to inspire, reflect, challenge, amuse, and give hope to a country whose story remains ‘unfinished rather than broken’.

The words, however, that struck me the most were:

There is always light

If only we are brave

enough to see it

If only we are brave

enough to Be it

We have heard a version of these words before, haven’t we?

In fact, they have been expressed in a myriad of ways throughout the centuries - we ARE the light that we seek.

And yet, we struggle to see this for ourselves.

It seems so much easier to see the light in others, doesn’t it?

And even then, we deny, diminish or dismiss that light as it shapeshifts into a stranger’s smile or kind word or helping hand.

And yet

it persists.

Because…

There is always light.

So perhaps with Amanda’s gentle nudge, we can be brave enough.

Brave enough to see this light

and

Brave enough to be this light.