FLM Friday: Backside of the dark side
On the backside of the dark side
There is more light
Sometimes you meet people in your life who have found new light on the backside of the dark side. I’ve always thought of the light and the dark as two very separate things. You can be on the light side or the dark side.
Not until recently in my life did I understand that some people have gone through the dark side in a very real way to find new light on the other side. They did not return to the light that they once knew. They sat in their darkness and became comfortable there. Allowing their eyes to adjust over time to be able to see new things that were once hidden in the darkness. This is where they have found a glimmer of hope, a new light, on the backside of the dark side.
You know the people I’m talking about. You’ve seen it in their eyes. And whether or not you’ve been able to put your finger on it, you’ve felt it. You’ve felt it when they make eye contact with you and you feel like you’re the only person in the world that they can see at that moment. You’ve felt it when they hug you and you are home. You’ve felt it when they ask you, “How are you?” and they wait for an honest answer.
We come across these people on a daily basis. The hopeful ones. The ones who know that every person on this Earth is going through something in their lives and is wanting to be seen. We know these people so well because that person is inside all of us. A person who has experienced the light side and the dark side of life. A person who longs for human connection. A person who wants to be seen no matter how dark it might be.
A rush of so many people’s faces comes to mind as I'm writing this. And if you’re reading this, then I’m sure you can see the people who have given you hope in your life. Mike and Lindsey are just two of the people who come to mind when I think about the hopeful ones. Their simple message to “Share Love, That’s All” was born out of the darkest moments of their lives. And if we all share our love and this message to others, we can provide light in a dark time to someone. The way Lindsey and Mike did and continue to do.
If you haven’t seen Viola Davis’s post on Instagram about Brielle “Bri Bri” Thomas yet then click this link:
And here is the link to the full story:
https://newschannel9.com/news/local/well-go-through-it-together-chattanooga-fathers-video-tribute-to-daughter-goes-viral-nasopharyngeal-cancer
Lindsey and Mike’s message shows up in the most understated way. Not only on the shirts and bracelets that Bri Bri and her dad are wearing. But also in the words that she shares in her interview. “If I showed them the story and how much people support you in it and the love and prayers you get from other people, that can probably help somebody that’s also going through it.” The message is Universal. The message is already present in all of our hearts. Sometimes it just takes a moment to share it.
Bri Bri’s story was one that Lindsey heard about through the friend of a daughter of a friend from another city in another state. Hope continues to be found in the connections that we make through our shared struggles. Light continues to overcome the dark. And sometimes that light is found on the backside of the dark side.
If you’d like to donate to Bri Bri’s go fund me, click this link
- Rob
