In February my husband and I visited the Cape Henry Lighthouse in Fort Story, Virginia.
I love lighthouses. I love the architecture, the history, and all that a lighthouse symbolizes. Lighthouses are literal and figurative beacons of light, offering guidance, safety, and hope.
I am also fascinated by the individuals who keep the light shining: the lighthouse keepers. Historically, the lighthouse keeper led a solitary life with a solemn dedication to duty. They were as reliable as the light. They were the light!
Strength of character and of body must have been required for the position. Day after day, step after step after step (you can count on lighthouses having steps!) the light was kept shining bright.
On the day we visited the Cape Henry Lighthouse, the skies were a heavy, dreary gray. Our guide apologized, “I’m sorry for all the fog.” I had to laugh. Not only could I not hold our guide responsible for the weather, but I could not begrudge seeing a lighthouse in one of the elements for which it was designed.
The fog had its own natural beauty. The fog and the lighthouse complimented each other – emphasized each other’s strengths. It was all very poetic. (Enough so to write about it in a blog anyway.)
I was glad to be there in the fog. It was a reminder that fog happens, but it is nothing to apologize for or agonize over.
Just know that somewhere in the fog there is someone or something standing strong, ready to help you. So do not be discouraged. Look for the light. And maybe sometimes, be the light or the lightkeeper for someone else.
Laurie's Leaves 