Every December, as the days get “shorter,” I am so very aware of lighting…the sun setting by 5 p.m., the lighting in our home, the holiday lights.  It’s known about me that I never like to use the overhead lights and instead prefer the soft light of lamps.  We light a candle on our Advent wreath that sits in the middle of our kitchen table.  We turn on the lights on our Christmas tree.  When we have to be out and about after dark, my eyes are drawn toward all the beautiful display of holiday lights around our neighborhood.

Looking for the light in the darkness.

Tending to the light in the darkness.

We light candles, we are mesmerized by the lights on Christmas trees, the sunsets catch our attention…all in this season of diminishing light.  There is something within the human spirit that is drawn toward light – the light in nature and the light within another human being.  Our eyes are drawn toward the smallest sliver of light in a room full of darkness.

Last week, I was doing a lot of painting and creating as I’m getting orders of poetic wrist wraps, cards, and prints out for customers. I was working on things like this inspirational card:

“Awakening” inspirational card.

It was late one night, my hands were covered in paint and colored pastels as I experiment and play.  I thought about how my daughter loves surprises.  She loves little “gifts” — she’s always making me something, creating something for a friend.  This comes so naturally to her.  Though I was tired, I took out two fresh, clean pages of watercolor paper.  My hand started moving, blending colors.  I put aside the inner critic and just kept moving my hand.   I wanted them to wake up to a little colorful surprise.  I wasn’t going for perfection AT ALL. I was going for “LOVE” and “PLAY!”

In my daughter’s class, they are talking about the “love light” within each of us — and how to connect with it, tend to it, and see the love light in others.  They are reflecting on what diminishes that love light and what enhances it, encourages it to grow.  My daughter’s “love light” is magnificent.  She has this smile that makes my heart soar.  My prayer for her is that she always lets this love light shine — that she learns to deeply tend to it within her and keep it shining, even in the darkest of times — the times of self-doubt, the times of sadness.

My son – he was born to shine.  He came into this world with this soft fire – ready to explore and be here.  Lately I notice how our culture seems to look less at the “light” within 8-10 year old children.  I don’t know at what age this exactly happens, but young children become “less cute.”  Not in my eyes.  I marvel at my growing son – how his awareness of others is deepening and he’ll ask how others are doing, how he reads out loud and his voice is still so angelic, how he looks to teach his sister new things.

But I can see how as our young children’s awareness of the world increases, as they know more of the “darkness” of violence in our world, their light can dim.  Right around age six and up.

I don’t want this for my children or for any child.  I want to teach my children to keep tending to that light within them.  I want to encourage them to let their light shine – as they want to, in their own ways.

When I think about it, that’s why I work with so many parents; that’s why I create these poetic wrist wraps…to encourage and inspire us to see the LIGHT – in ourselves and each other.  To find DELIGHT in each other and our world.

So this last week before I close down my shop for two weeks, I am working away…sending out messages of LIGHT and DELIGHT as I fill orders of poetic wrist wraps, cards and prints.    My kitchen table is covered with Legos and watercolors.  I watch the light coming in through our windows.  I send out a prayer to each customer, wondering who they are giving these gifts to and sending light to them, and hoping that these soulful messages encourage them in 2015.

Painting hearts on the cards where I will hand-write a message to each customer to encourage love, light, and compassion in their everyday lives.

The next morning, my children woke up to two lovely messages.  I don’t know why, but I was surprised by how my son’s face lit up.  Maybe I thought he was getting to “old” for mom’s little love messages.  But he isn’t.  He hugged me and smiled.  Big time.  And my little daughter?  She was just delighted.  Little do they know that they are getting two new wrist wraps for Christmas, too!  Little do they know that I am creating poems and prints just for them.

This week, take some time to notice the light within your dear ones.  Take time to tell them how you SEE their light.  No matter how old they are…it feels so warm and cozy to know how deeply you love them and see them.  It encourages their LIGHT to shine.  It encourages more DELIGHT in our world.

**  Dear readers, I have a beautiful online course, Regarding Our Girls: Feminine Embodiment Practices to Empower, Uplift, and Connect with Our Daughters.  Receive 16 sacred feminine embodiment lessons and corresponding practices over three weeks to nourish and inspire your daughter.

Consider these inspirational gems for your dear ones.  Give them a poetic “touchstone” that they can so beautifully wrap around their wrists and be inspired by the encouraging message throughout the day.   My gems are filled with my original art-work and poetry.  May they inspire you and your dear ones to SEE the LIGHT and DELIGHT in your everyday lives.

Walking the Path of Beauty 5×7 matted print.

“kindness” greeting card. Blank inside for your own personalized message.

Poetic wrist wraps with lines of my original poetry on them — your touchstone throughout the day!