“It’s so much darker when a light goes out than it would have been if it had never shone.”

“It’s so much darker when a light goes out than it would have been if it had never shown.” This quote, from a John Steinbeck novel, is so true. When a light goes out in the midst of darkness, it takes a moment for our eyes to adjust. For a while the darkness seems to overwhelm everything. The sudden change between light and dark somehow makes the dark even more intense.

Well, this same phenomenon applies to people. When people who’ve brought light and joy to us and the world depart, we may realize we had taken their light for granted. It’s only when it’s gone that its absence is deeply felt. All of a sudden, things seem a bit darker in our hearts and minds as we grieve their absence–their light.

So what are we to do in our effort to live life with positivity?

Perhaps the best we can do is to carry on the light they left us.

When people leave this world, it’s like the Olympic torch being passed on to the next runner. They leave us with their light–their life lessons–their love in our hearts…And the the best we can do is grab hold of it as we continue along life’s journey. In this way, the light they leave will never go extinguished.