Illuminating the practice of presence. “Lighthouses don’t go running all over an island looking for boats to save; they just stand there shining.” Anne Lamott
So often I can find myself falling into a rabbit hole of my own making believing that presence is equated with doing. If that becomes my operating manual, I may fall into unhealthy ways of being for myself and others. Inserting myself into situations when I have not been called upon and almost always the catalyst underneath the motivation is fear rather than love.
Just as a lighthouse provides a constant and steady beam of light for those in need, what if as humans we might believe that we are that too? A source of light rising up within us that is ever present if needed.
I have always been captivated and curious about lighthouses. One year I recall purchasing a calendar of lighthouses from all around the world. They captured my attention as young girl gazing out the car window on my way to summer camp in Northern Maine. Dotting the rugged coastline stood majestic and mighty lighthouses that were relied upon by those at sea. Their steady and unwavering light signaling a direction, a way home for many.
Lighthouses didn’t have to do anything as Anne Lamott reminds us, they simply stand and do what they are built to do, to shine ever so brightly, illuminate and guide us to where we believe we are headed.
Glen Fielding shares, “Being present with others didn’t mean I had be forever checking in with them about their unmet needs. I didn’t get presence points by continually searching for ships in distress that might benefit from my help. Sometimes, standing in my light was enough.”
Perhaps we are that lighthouse for someone and our presence is simply enough. No fretting nor toiling wondering if we are doing it right or are missing something. Trusting that as our beams of light continue to sweep across the ocean, that they will be noticed and relied upon if needed.
This inner pilot light is our birthright and resides within each of us. It can be readily called upon from within. Only requiring a remembering and a deep knowing that we are the ones who can stoke this sometimes tiny ember into all its brilliant and blazing glory beckoning ourselves and one another home.
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