Author: Karla Koon

“My thoughts and awareness return to Grace Cathedral. I focus on the lights. All beautifully unique, shining brightly, like hands reaching to God.”

“I could have named more. Stopping, thinking, and naming my joys has brought to light all that is wonderful in my life. There is so much now that is challenging, difficult and less than ideal, with so much that is outside of my control.”

“I am not sure we are out of the dark tunnel of this year, but I feel our collective chins lifting. We continue to walk together. The circle of light at the end of the tunnel is getting bigger with springtime, vaccinations, and accountability. The darkness is yielding, and the shadows are lifting.”

“The whole time, there had been these tiny lights illuminating my way. I just did not notice them before, as I stubbled, bubbled and fumbled in the dark. But now, I no longer needed confidence in myself to find my way back, I had the assurance of knowing that my path would be lit.”

“For Lent, I am going to give into being dust. In a way, that is giving up something. It is giving up the hard and marbleized parts of who I am, whether formed over decades or just this last year.”

“As hard as this is, I know others around me suffer greater strains with joblessness, food insecurity, home-schooling children, worrying about aging parents, etc. I know I am not alone when I say, “how did I get here?”. And yet here I am in this exiled life.”

“I think about the times when waves would crash on top of me, suck me into the undertow and tumble me into disorientation. Or the times when waves would catch me by surprise and knock me down.”