the in-between

The time of in-between.  The lingering light of a setting sun.  Domingo Batista, a phenomenal photographer from the Dominican Republic, calls the in-between the "tiempo de luz" or the time of light.  He told me that during the dusk and dawn, many souls pass from this life to the next.  He also said that these moments are the best time of day to capture a photograph.

Indeed, something about this time of in-between feels peaceful and resonates on a deep level.  I must not be the only one to experience it, as I see many fellow "believers" of the in-between heading to the canyon, the beach, or the hill to catch the changing light of sunset and sunrise on film or in their memories. Maybe we're all drawn to the beauty, possibility and magic of the in-between.

The orange hue of the setting sun reminds me of the fading light of a glowing ember.  Staring at the dwindling glow on a candle wick, I am reminded that energy is never lost, it is only transformed.  

Recently, my extended family has experienced significant tragedy and death.  These are the painful parts of life's journey--what we inherited with our incarnation and the tough lessons of love.  Such things, especially when they feel so out of control and tragic, cause a huge upheaval and toss us directly into the flames of the in-between.  

Each moment is a crossroads per se, an opportunity to act, love and be as authentic as possible...so that in the end (or maybe the beginning), we cross through the fire of the in-between with no regrets.  

And who knows what we will emerge from the smoke as...

for the butterfly is well-aware of the importance of the in-between.

earthshine

Here's a little amber-perspective of the moon tonight as I walked the dogs at sunset.  I love the winter season in the desert.  The dark looming night sky, Orion with his bright star-lit belt perched above me, and the glorious sight of "earthshine" on the crescent moon.  Just a little reminder that light emerges from the darkness, and that it knows no boundaries...

During this season in Alaska, the Northern Lights blaze green over the white horizon.  And instead of Orion, the 7 bright stars of the Big Dipper shine in plain sight in the middle of the night sky.  It's dog-mushing time there.  One's breath crystallizes in the air, and the winter moon reflects the sun's bedtime light upon snowy land.

Down here, I have to scan the edge of the northern sky to find the faintly lit Big Dipper on the horizon.  

It's just a little change in perspective...

Not enough though, to change the way the water swirls down the toilet.  Speaking (or writing) of which, someday I hope to make it to the Southern Hemisphere so I can experience the magnetic pull of the south pole first hand.  I'm wondering if, like swirling toilet water, it would change my dreams at night--maybe they would go backwards, like a video rewinding in my head.  

On that tangent, I got a new video camera for Christmas (thanks, Mom & Dad!!).  When I make it South, I'll bring it with me, and video the toilet water swirling down the drain the opposite direction that it does on my hemisphere.  And then, of course, post it on YouTube.  

We're almost like 'light' these days, quickly losing (transcending?) boundaries amidst the surging waves of technology.  Definitely, our cyber-travels, satellites and cell phone towers are weaving us together beyond what once were geographical boundaries.

Another change in perspective...  

And now we know the Earth is round, and that us Earthlings walk on a planet that orbits the Sun.  Back in the day, I might have been scared to cross the hemispheres, fearing the edge (and never have known about the physics of swirling toilet water); or I would've been a believer of heliocentrism and my head would have been on someone's chopping block.  

Either way, it's nice to be in the 21st Century where knowledge is power...

At least, for people like me who have access to it and live in a society that values freedom and diversity.

One day, maybe that perspective will change too.

On this beautiful Winter's Eve, with the light from the Southern Hemisphere reflected on the other side of the crescent moon that I see lingering above the southwestern horizon (from my perspective, of course :-)...I wish you peace and light.