Love is Light

Tonight I went over to my mom's to check on her, a thing I do now most everyday. It was late and as I stepped outside and into the cold, the snow was falling ever so lightly. The night was dark, there was no moon overhead, and no light in the sky as I climbed in the car.

As I pulled up in front of her old red brick home, the front path to her door was covered with snow. There was an ark light shinning behind me. The light brought the snow to life as each flake sparkled like glitter in it's luminous reflection. Light is always reflected.

Standing there at my mom's looking at the snow reminded me of something that happened in my photography class I took a few weeks ago. On the last day of our class my teacher Kelly told us to wear a white shirt when we take pictures. She herself had on a white shirt that day and I was taken back as she demonstrated this principle by stepping in front of our model, Shannon. Immediately the sun's reflection bounced off Kelly's white shirt and lit Shannon's face. I couldn't get over it. Again, standing there, I thought about how light is always reflected as I made my way up the walk.

As I got to the door, I fumbled with the key, but soon the door gave way. As I opened it and stepped inside I found my mom sitting in her chair crying. I felt so bad for her. Her knees ache, her body aches, her life is well spent and she suffers from many physical ailments. She has worked hard her whole life and her body shows the signs of having done so.

I doctored her up and sat with her a while, she likes the company. She is alone much of the time and just me being there perked her right up. She was so grateful that I came and she kept expressing her gratitude to me. She thinks she's a bother to care for but she's not at all. I have enjoyed my relationship with her in this time of her life and I am grateful I have the opportunity to serve her. My service to her brings me far more than it brings her.

As I prepared to leave I noticed the difference in the light in her face from when I first arrived to now as I kissed her good bye and made my way out the door. I was so glad I came to check on her. My visit brought her light. It brought me light too.

As I left the house, I shoveled the walk and fed the old gray cat. I swear that cat is older than my mother! It's body looks haggard and I'm sure, like my mother, it must feel haggard too. It's tail is crooked, it's a spindly thing, it looks like death walking on four legs. Note to self: I have got to remember to take a picture of that cat.

As I climbed in my car I turned to look at the old home. As I sat there pondering, I could see my small body standing on the front porch. I was a child again, and so many memories both good and bad came rushing to my heart. The tears came easily. . . the night felt dark again. I will miss my mother terribly when she is gone. I am her baby, and whatever will I do when the old home lies empty?

I drove away with my thoughts. When I got home and inside I came up to the study, pulled up this picture of Eden and commenced to unwind myself. Editing pictures calms me. I wanted to edit the picture of Eden and post it on the blog. What intrigues me about this photo, is the 'Catch light' in Eden's eyes. If you double click on the photo, it will come up larger and you can really see them. They are beautiful. I've been practicing the art of trying to catch this light in my pictures and I was so excited when I did so with Eden. I didn't have to edit her eyes one bit in this photo. I think that's what amazed me about the picture.

Catch light is a photography term used to describe either the specular highlight in a subject's eye from a light source, or the light source itself. They are also referred to as eye lights or Obies, a term coined after a woman with the last name of Obie, who always had her picture taken with light in her eyes. To me there is nothing more beautiful than a picture that captures this remarkable reflected light.

Every time I see a photo with this kind of light shinning from the subjects eyes I just can't stop looking at it. The ironic part of this is that I've noticed children always have more Obies than adults. The light is always profound in the eyes of a child. Well, why not? Children are always more loving than adults and love is light.

As I finished up the picture, I thought about how light is referred to in the scriptures. There are 314 scriptures that give reference to light in the Old Testament, 100 in the New Testament, 143 in the Book of Mormon, 102 in the Doctrine and Covenants, and 37 in the Pearl of Great Price. That's a grand total of 696 scriptural references teaching us about light. Where love is there is always light.

In Mathew chapter 6 verse 22 it states, "The light of the body is the eye: if therefore thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be full of light." I thought about the brilliant light in Eden's eye's. Her whole body is full of light. When she comes to my house she is like a little sunbeam bouncing everywhere. Watching her, I want to pick her up and squeeze her. I want to hold her in my arms and suck up all that light. It's like that with all of my grandchildren; they have that effect on me, because they love me unconditionally. Children are pure in their ability to love.

I thought about all that light in Eden as I sat with my thoughts and feelings tonight as I returned from my mom's. I looked up some scriptures on light, but the scripture that brought me comfort tonight as I looked through so many, was D&C 10:58 reminding me that Christ is my light. "I am the light which shineth in the darkness and the darkness comprehendeth it not." And when those things that are dark in me spring up covering my countenance with pain, filling me with hurt and discouragement, I am always lifted out of this place by the light of Christ.

I wonder about the light in my own eyes and tonight I was reminded to live so that the light of Christ can be my Catch light, my Obie. His love is my light. His love always lifts me from the darkest places. Love or Light, it doesn't matter, interchange the words as you will for they are one in the same and to love honestly is to fill my life with light.