“A single sunbeam is enough to drive away many shadows.”

― St. Francis of Assisi

I am alone in the room. I smile. A large window opens a view of my neighborhood on a 50-degree January day. Choosepeace, I tell myself while the news repeats horrors in a universally expected monotone.

A sunbeam appears. Winter-bare trees stretch rich, dark branches against stark cobalt blue. The light reaches into our ordinary living space. The sun’s intensity splashes inside.

Breathe me in, sunbeam seems to say. I won’t stay long. The briefness of my appearance does not negate my presence. Even as the darkness appears, remember my brilliance lives within you, too.

illustration made from public domain drawing