Be The Light
by Ngozi Osuagwu, MD | January 16th, 2022
For Christmas, one of my friends sent me a copy of the book titled, The Hill We Climb by Amanda Gorman. The Hill We Climb contains the 2021 inaugural poem. When I told a librarian friend of mine that I got this book as a gift, she reminded me that poetry should always be read aloud. She asked me to pay extra attention to the last six lines of the poem:
When day comes, we step out of the shade,
Aflame and unafraid.
The new dawn blooms as we free it,
For there is always light,
If only we’re brave enough to see it,
If only we’re brave enough to be it.
As I read these last six lines several times, I was reminded of a quote by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. – “Darkness cannot drive out darkness, only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate, only love can do that”.
As we celebrate Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, we are all reminded that we can be the light. We can be the light to make positive changes in the world. We can make a difference.
For me, it can sometimes feel daunting when I look at the big picture of hate and discord in the world. Then, I remember that I have particular gifts, given only to me by the Creator, and those gifts may simply be doing/thinking as I do, in the manner that I do, and that sets in motion the energy that may be needed to make a simple change in the world (that I very often may not even know has happened). Thanks for bringing that to my attention.
I truly appreciate your insight. Thanks for sharing.