The Light

Driving one morning under a thick, cloudy sky along a high plateau in the Himalayas in Tibet, the gloomy atmosphere I remember was suddenly transformed by sunlight breaking through and splashing itself across the mountainous vista. The light, as it does in the outdoors, shifted entirely and with it, my mood. In a blink, I reveled in the glowing scene that moments before had been mostly darkness surrounding this woman farmer carrying her tool on her way to work.

I stopped to make an image of the dappled light playing on her face and illuminating the landscape. The distant glacier’s icy surfaces that had been flat and without contrast were now lit: causing a kind of dynamism as its ripples and ridges displayed different shades of blue and its massive expanse created a dynamic backdrop.

Returning to my vehicle, my fingers and toes were chilled, but my spirit was warm. What had been fatigue and stress and concentration on travel and work was completely recalibrated by light. I felt buoyant. It struck me as it has many times before, that nature offers gifts—in this case, the gift of light—I do not deserve but am so very grateful to have. May you also find light and delight on your journey today and in the years to come.