The Darkness and the Light

Life sometimes feels like a dance between the darkness and the rays of sunshine as we struggle to find our way among the difficult hurdles we encounter. I feel like that dance defines my life. I try to cope with the hurdles and come away from each difficult situation stronger than I was before. There is something to be learned, some wisdom to be gained, and some insight to be captured in almost every tough situation.

I find that the struggle between dark and light draws me into photography. I love trying to capture the rays of sunshine in the midst of a dark forest. Yesterday, Shyla fell asleep in a warm sun puddle while I photographed her in the forest.

It's easiest, in terms of telling the stories of our lives, to focus on only the rays of sunshine - the happiness. Yet, we all have struggles of one kind or another.

As you know, Shyla struggles with fears - mainly of interacting with unknown dogs, some people, and the bustle of town. Recently, she's made big strides with one of those struggles.

There's another young female dog who runs with her human on our trails. The other young female dog tends to greet canines with an emphatic signal that she considers herself to be the boss. It is often a growl, an air snap, or a pounce - but it never goes beyond a ritualistic sort of behavior. Confident dogs, like R, simply ignore her greeting behavior. In contrast, fearful dogs, like Shyla, can be terrified by it.

Something has shifted in Shyla's relationship with that dog recently, partly because the other dog has recently dialed down how she greets Shyla. In the next photo, Shyla has just spotted the dog coming up the hill toward us. Her reaction was to wag!!! Look at her tail - it's in mid-wag.

In recent encounters, the other dog has done something very funny when she arrives just ahead of her human. She runs in between me and Shyla, and she sits, appearing to "pose" for a photo. So, I obliged the other day. She's a pretty dog, and I'm so glad that she and Shyla are getting more comfortable with each other. Her owners are friends of ours, and it's fun if our dogs get along!

That's an example, in non-literal terms, of the struggle between darkness and light that goes on all the time in our lives. Shyla adores running in the forest but she's had to find the courage to face the few scary situations that we encounter out there. The light, Shyla's confidence, is winning in this case.

But I think it's worth remembering and acknowledging that life isn't always a picnic. We don't have to paint our lives like Hallmark cards.

But I do love the glow that emanates when the light and the darkness meet.