Sparks of Light in the Darkness

A Vision for Our Children’s Children

Did you believe in fairies when you were a child?

When I was five years old, my mother dressed me in a blue dress with a velvet collar and took me to see Peter Pan at the Children’s Theater in town. I remember my heart pounding when the actors implored us, “If you believe in fairies, clap your hands!” I scooted to the edge of my seat and clapped as hard and fast as I could until a faint glow began to blink on the dark stage. I exhaled in relief to see that Tinker Bell was alive. Nobody was talking about “empowerment” in the 1950’s, but I knew then that by joining together with the other children in the audience, we had saved her.

I remember being seven, tossing and turning in my bed, wrestling with a question that had been bothering me all week. After a while, I slipped out from beneath the quilt and padded into the living room where my mother was lying on the couch, reading. Kneeling beside her I asked quietly, “Mama, are fairies real?” She hesitated, frowning slightly and pursing her lips before she replied, “No, honey - there’s no such thing as fairies.” I struggled inwardly, wanting her to be wrong, but then I cried because I knew my mother wouldn’t lie.

The grief of what my mother had told me stayed with me for a time. But life continued on as it does, and my belief in magic and fairies steadily faded.

Little did I know at the time that this inherent belief and wonder were not actually gone forever, but were merely dormant.

One of the greatest pleasures in my life is having a three-year-old granddaughter who delights in her magical world of fairies and unicorns. Fast forward many decades to the present…last week she and I were playing together while her parents went to a party. When it was time for a video before bed, she chose Tinker Bell and the Lost Treasure. There she was on the screen: my favorite fairy. Dressed in sparkly green, mischievous and messy - yet full of big dreams. I was instantly transported across time to her enchanted world of tiny animals, fairy friends and a rascally firefly. Tink was on a quest to create a special scepter that would hold the fairies’ precious moonstone.

At the annual Autumn Revelry, it was known that a blue harvest moon would rise, allowing the fairies to restore the ancient Pixie Dust Tree - the source of all their magic - to its magnificence.

In a tussle with her bossy fairy friend Terence, the moonstone was shattered. By facing her fears and venturing into an astonishing new world, Tink faced and overcame many challenges. Through this heroine’s journey, she ended up re-forging the moonstone scepter - and discovered the greatest treasure of all - true friendship.

At the Autumn Revelry, Tink presented the unique creation she had made from the broken shards of the crystal. As the moonlight shone through the glass slivers, fractals of light pierced the darkness and spread over the earth. Throngs of fairies sang and danced as their queen declared it was “the most magnificent shower of light ever streamed from the blue moon to all living things.”

After the video, a bath, and three books, as I tucked my granddaughter into bed, she arranged her fingers over her face to make a “crystal love” symbol. As you can see in the photo below, she had beautifully and intuitively formed her hands into what seemed like a very specific diamond shape. To me, this gesture was so clearly a representation of a crystal being, with an ageless eye peering out.

Who knows whether she had seen someone do this or if it came directly from her imagination. What I do know is that she believes in fairies. Magic, wonder, and the mysterious and boundless unknown are all very real for her. This precious little being, so pure and connected to the free-flowing creative force of life – she doesn’t question her ability to create. She simply enjoys engaging this super power whenever she wishes.

Witnessing this pure and uninhibited expression of creativity and divinity in my granddaughter gives me comfort and hope for the days ahead. Maybe you have a child in your life. What is the future you want for them? What is the more beautiful world you want them to grow up in? Indigenous elders speak of the concept of seven generations - the perspective that everything we do ripples out forward and backward in time. Are we hurting or healing with our actions? What choices are we making now that will affect our children in the years to come? And what about their children’s children’s children? There is great power in the vision we collectively hold for the future of the earth, humanity, and all living things.

Over this past summer and fall, I experienced something similar to the feeling I had when I was five years old in the theater, enthusiastically clapping my hands to bring Tink back to life. Except that now, in real-time, I was fervently devoted to the election of the person I felt was the best candidate to lead the country I live in. And I was not alone in this. We were “clapping” together - and the feelings of community, camaraderie, solidarity, and unity were palpable.

And yet, the election did not turn out as we had hoped.

Many of us who worked for a different outcome are feeling discouraged and overwhelmed.

I hear from friends and acquaintances that they are tuning out. “I’m not going to pay attention to the news or to what is happening in the world,” they say. “Might as well leave it alone.”

Yes, after the intensity of the past few months, we need time to rest. To reset.

And yet part of me seeks to find a balance. On one hand, we must not look away. Awareness is necessary. On the other hand, honoring the need to restore our spirit and regulate our nervous systems is equally important.

As I write this, devastating fires fed by fierce Santa Ana winds are spreading across the Los Angeles region. More than 12,000 homes have burned, with 24 known deaths and many people and pets missing. As the fires rage on, the loss is shocking and too much to bear alone.

Thankfully in the midst of this existential threat, community is thriving. Help is showing up from every direction: offers of meals and money, firefighters from Mexico, planes from Canada to extinguish the flames, and people around the country opening their homes to those who are fleeing the devastation.

In times as turbulent and heartbreaking as these, we can ask ourselves…

What is mine to do?

Who do I choose to be when I’m pushed to the edge of my threshold?

How can I respond instead of react?

Can I see this (person, situation, feeling) through the eyes of love?

The invitation is to find the next right loving action.

Feed your neighbor if they are hungry.

Give a safe space to someone who needs shelter.

Look for sparks of light in the darkness.

As St. Francis of Assisi said, “All the darkness in the world cannot extinguish the light of a single candle.” Even the smallest light in the darkness creates illumination.

Remember that we always have a choice. Maybe not in our external circumstances, but always in how we choose to respond to them. We have a choice in the experience we create for ourselves, and in the actions that we take.

When I focus on fear, I create more fear. What I damn, damns me. What I give attention to, I create more of.

When I choose to see through the eyes of love and take action from that place, I am inviting myself and others into a higher consciousness.

As Anne Lamotte says,

“We notice the darkness. We don’t pretend it doesn’t exist. We notice and feel it. The brokenness and mess are called real life, and it’s cracked and fragile, but the glue for me is the beating of my heart, and love.”

Reading these words I am transported back to Neverland. Even though Tinkerbell’s moonstone scepter was shattered, she still found the resources within herself to create something even more beautiful. The new scepter, destroyed and then recreated from the broken pieces, became imbued with new hope, and fresh, inspired magic. And it was through Tink’s choice that this came to be.

She could have given up or walked away, but she chose to face her challenges head on. Acting from a place of deep love for her community and her home, she was able to bring healing to the land of the fairies.

This “fairytale” isn’t so different from real life. I can find proof of magic and miracles everyday, if I know where to look. And the bright spirit that lives in my granddaughter - and all of Earth’s children - reminds me of what is possible, what we can create, and how we can shape our future in service to all beings.

Now, if you’re able, is the perfect time to dig a hole for the bulbs. Take out the earbuds and listen for a bird’s song. Put down the phone and pick up a book (I recommend Andrea Gibson’s You Better Be Lightning).

What is your heart calling for right now? What can you do to soothe yourself in a way that nurtures you? Know that we will rise up when we are stronger and less weary. We’ll show up when we’re needed. We will prepare for an end to the despair. Instead of stoically “holding it together” we will hold it…together with other compassionate humans who are committed to something greater than our small selves.

So, dear one, I leave you here. I’m gazing at you through my very own crystal love mudra, with faith in my heart that we will all lift our moonstone scepters when the time is exactly right - bringing our unique light and healing, wielding the power of our hearts and our loving actions.

How does this land for you? Please drop in with a comment, I read and respond to them all.

In Service of Truth and Love,

Lee

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About the Author

Lee Sumner Irwin is a teacher, visionary, author, artist, intuitive guide, and grandmother who has spent the last few decades discovering a multitude of ways to uplift, inspire, and connect with women who feel called to her work. Over the years she has led retreats worldwide, coached women as they birthed their unique gifts and creative energy, and facilitated healing journeys. Her award-winning first book is Radiant Wise Woman: Breaking Free from the Myths of Menopause and Aging. She currently resides in Alabama with her husband where she enjoys dancing, exploring the wonders of nature, building community, nurturing her family, and finding ever-new ways to express her creativity.

Here at RADIANT WISE WOMEN, you’ll only find soul-filled, honest, and authentic content. No artificial intelligence — just pure human consciousness + creativity.