In order for the light to shine so brightly, the darkness must be present.” –Sir Francis Bacon

I had made this trip a thousand times before without incident.  Punch the button for my ticket.  Sit patiently as the machine spits it out.  Wait for the arm to the parking garage to raise.  Then make my way inside.  But this particular parking experience would leave a lasting impression.

As I wound my way down into the bowels of the garage, I found my “favorite” parking spot and settled in.  I checked the car for my belongings, made a mental note that I desperately needed to vacuum it out, and casually strolled toward the elevator.  But just as I turned the corner, the entire garage was plunged into darkness.  There was no warning.  No flicker.  Just instant and complete blackness.

I waited a beat for my eyes to adjust.  But still, there was nothing.  I took a tentative step but it felt awkward and disorienting, like walking in outer space.  There were potential threats all around me.  I could walk into a car, a concrete barrier, a parking meter.  I lost my orientation.  Was my car to the left and the elevator to the right, or vice versa?  Time stood still and it seemed like an eternity passed in seconds.  Panic was setting in.

Suddenly, I remembered that I had my cellphone in my backpack.  I quickly unholstered it and turned on the built-in flashlight (Insert sound bite of angels singing).  As quickly as the darkness had come, the light drove it back out.  A feeling of safety and normalcy quickly returned.  The elevator, and path to my normal routine, was right there in front of me.  Ahhhhh.  Much better.

I just needed to stay calm and focus on the solutions within my reach.  And the whole experience gave me a much greater appreciation for the things I had taken for granted.

And isn’t that true of most of the adversity we face in our everyday lives?

Take Time to Breathe

Sometimes, difficult news hits without warning.  The loss of a job.  The loss of a loved one.  An unfavorable diagnosis.  A devastating injury.  A global pandemic.  Because these setbacks come from out of the blue, we have no opportunity to mentally prepare.  We have no way to rationalize the shock of the moment.  We freeze in fear.  We become disoriented.  How could this happen to us?  How can we possibly go on?

We just need to breathe.  We need to focus on solutions.  We have all the tools we need to overcome any obstacle right within our reach.  Sometimes it just requires good old-fashioned hard work.  Sometimes, we have to muster the courage to pivot.  Sometimes, we won’t be able to control the outcome.  But we can control our attitude.  And we can focus on a healthier perspective.

Solutions don’t always come easily.  The cellphone flashlight won’t always provide a panacea.  But staying calm and focusing on our long-term perspective will always provide a salve. We don’t need a spotlight.  Sometimes the faintest flicker of light will provide enough hope to get us through the darker times.

We Have to Keep the Faith

And when we have taken a few steps in complete darkness, we appreciate our journey so much more when the light returns.  A victory after returning from an injury tastes so much sweeter.  A promotion after losing a job means so much more.  A bonus after facing bankruptcy heightens our celebration.  A reconciling after a strained relationship deepens our appreciation.   A simple handshake after a long Covid winter intensifies our connection.

At some point, we will all be plunged into darkness.  It will come without warning.  It won’t seem fair.  It will feel like an impossible situation,  We won’t know which direction to turn.  But we have to keep the faith. We have to work toward a solution. And we have to believe that it won’t last forever.

Darkness is simply the absence of light.  And when the light finally returns, it won’t just be business as usual. It will be deeply meaningful.  And it will kick off a glorious celebration of resilience that will last the rest of our lives.