Eileen Campbell Books

               NOVEMBER 2013  autumn into winter...and the light of hope


It's that time of year again when sunlight is diminishing (at least in the Northern hemisphere).  After the most glorious summer and a bountiful autumn, winter is once again with us, and the darkness and cold have returned.

The great end of year festivals - Divali, Eid, Thanksgiving, Hannukah, the Winter Solstice and Christmas - are all about light and hope, gratitude and sharing.

Darkness and cold pervade our world metaphorically, as well as physically  - of that we are only too well aware.  The seasons remind us of the unending cycles of birth, flourishing, fullness and death - the pattern for all that exists.  As surely as the darkness descends and wraps itself around us, so too the light always returns, a mere candle-flicker to begin with, until it enfolds us in a glorious brightness and warmth.

None of us can be certain as to why suffering exists but it appears to be a necessary prerequisite to being in this world.  So long as there is life, there is hope, and the possibility of understanding.

The lights of the end of year festivals remind us of the eternal light which is never extinguished, no matter the depth of the darkness.

May all take comfort in the lights of the festivals, and hope for better times, and may those of us who are fortunate, count our blessings, share what we have, and be hopeful about the future for all.