The Dance of Light and Dark

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The Dance of Light and Dark
Lessons Learned from a Glass Guru
(part 1 of 3)

A few nights ago, I was driving along the freeway at the correct speed limit - surprisingly, not over the speed limit - and laughing with my daughter as we sped along. Traffic was moving along at a smooth, rapid click and all seemed right with the world.

Suddenly, I saw this object flying, seemingly out of nowhere, with startling velocity and I knew it was going to hit me. I had no hope of getting out of its way and, a split second later, the huge rock slammed into my windshield with such force that my daughter and I both screamed and ducked to avoid the impact. It was a good sized rock - about the size of a man's fist - and took two considerably-sized chunks of glass out of my windshield, leaving behind two divots with at least 20 cracks spidering out from each. Not a good situation.

Given the location of the craters - at the base of the windshield by the dashboard - I knew it was something that needed to be taken care of without delay to avoid crack growth due to intense heat. Immediately, I got on the phone to place a claim with my insurance company. It was a brief call, very supportive and informational. They got me set up with SafeLite AutoGlass Repair, a mobile windshield repair company that was going to come out the next day and all was well in my world again.

The next morning, I called in to confirm with the glass company. They said, "You can expect your technician to arrive between noon and five."

Well... for half of that time, I would be at my home. For the other part, I would be at work. This created a bit of a "situation" that required some juggling, but they were willing to do whatever it took to get my problem resolved. Things were shifting in the repairman's schedule and, after three different phone calls, it was decided he would come to my home to fix it. He was courteous and accommodating on the phone and even more so in person.

Sheldon arrived on my doorstep with a big smile and about 15 minutes early. He apologized for the continual changing of the scheduling but, for me, no apology was necessary. None of the morning's conversations had been painful or irritating for me so I was happy as a clam either way. The mere fact that he was coming to my home to fix it and I didn't have to wait in some stinky waiting room somewhere and it was getting done that day, before it had a chance to grow, was enough to make everything okay.

He whistled when he saw my "chips" and said the same thing I did when it happened, "I can't believe it didn't go through!" I felt happy that I wasn't being overly dramatic. It really was as bad as I thought it was!

He efficiently set up shop on the hood of my car, being certain to place a towel beneath his bag and equipment to protect my paint job. He was willing to carry on conversation and share with me his process and why he was doing "that" each step of the way. I liked that because I'm such a curious person and his dialogue answered all of my wonderings.

"When I'm working with glass," Sheldon explained early on in the process, "I watch for the lightness and the darkness within the crack. How a crack reflects light tells me how it's reacting to what I am doing. If there is darkness, I haven't successfully opened up the crack and the resin is not getting in to seal it off and stop further spreading."

As I listened to my Glass Guru, I correlated his words to what I do in my healing work. What he said of glass is the same I can say of my clients. When I'm working with them, I can see where there is Light and where there is Dark. If there is an unwillingness to open up in the space of Darkness, the healing Light cannot get in. If this happens, my client stays "cracked" and runs the risk of that crack spreading.

In life, there are many things that fracture you and cause fissures wherein your energy can leak out. When you are cracked, you find yourself tired or irritable or quick to offend. When you are cracked, you take on the energy and attitudes of others and may find yourself acting beastly and then wondering what on earth is wrong with you.

I invite you to take a moment to look at your life and ask yourself these questions: Am I cracked? Is it in my heart? My spirit? My mind? Where am I taking on that which is not my own? And, most importantly, am I ready and willing to heal these cracks?

Healing your cracks is a powerful step that provides forward momentum. It happens from within you and requires readiness and willingness. It is truly a dance between the Light and Dark that, when complete, although there may be a residual scar, the healing leaves you like a solid pane of glass.

© Angie K. Millgate 07/09/10