Embracing The Light Within; The Lighted Bookcase

In Poltergeist, a 1982 film by Steven Spielberg, Tangina Barrons, a psychic said, “Go into the light…there is peace and serenity in the light.” My sister and I used to often quote that line while we were goofing off together. Even while playing with Brittany and Alyssa years later, I still would say in a spooky voice, “Go into the light.”

This weekend I was extremely busy trying to accomplish things instead of just hiding at home. Yes, sadness, depression and PTSD often cause me to hide from everyone, but that’s not what I did this weekend. Instead, I went shopping, took my car to be inspected, emptied some of the items out of storage, unpacked more, decorated for Christmas, cleaned, and I put the porcelain figurines in the bookcase.

The lighted pine bookcases were built by my first husband, Brittany and I during my pregnancy with Alyssa. The bookcase was designed so that the cabinets are all around the lighted center section that houses my porcelain figurines. I’ve actually had the figurines packed away for the last eight years, so arranging them in the bookcase brought back a lot of meaningful memories. As I placed each figurine in the lighted opening within the bookcase, I thought about how the light within me has been dimmed for many years.

What Is The Light Within?

In one scene of Poltergeist, the psychic, Tangina Barrons was talking about souls that were supposedly trapped between this world and the next. I guess most people would call them spirits or ghosts. Anyway, she said, “They’re attracted to the one thing about her that’s different from themselves. Her life-force – it is very strong. It gives off its own illumination. It is a light that implies life and memory of love and home and earthly pleasures, something they desperately desire but can’t have anymore.”

It is somewhat strange that I remembered that part of a movie I haven’t seen in so, so many years.

The lighted section of the bookcase is filled with woman/child porcelain figurines portraying my life with Brittany and Alyssa, fancy Avon women and a breathtaking Giuseppe Armani woman. The light within my bookcase shines on figurines that imply “life and memory of love and home and earthly pleasures.” Yes, lots of life, love and memories.

The light within us has many meanings, but the essence of most is that our soul is illuminating. By embracing the light within us and allowing our soul to be in charge, our choices will lead us in the direction of our dreams. Of course, the complete opposite is true when our dreams die. We can allow the light within us to be snuffed out by other people or circumstances. While living in the dark, we can totally lose all our light by doing the unthinkable and ending our life.

How To Embrace The Light Within

There are several ways to get in touch with and embrace the light within you. It can be called many things – meditation, prayer, soul searching, or contemplation. No matter what you call this journey to the light, the first step is to know that there is a light and you can connect with it on a deeper level.

When you are aware of the light within, truth for and about you will be revealed or become known. You do not need people telling you what your purpose or direction should be or how to get there. If you embrace your own personal light, you can’t go wrong.

Am I saying that it will be easy after you embrace your truth? Am I saying that you won’t make any mistakes? No, that’s not what I’m saying at all. Nothing is free, easy or fair in life, however, the essence of your soul is lit with truth.

Let me give you an example. Since I am a Christian, I will use prayer in my example. In order to have a personal relationship with God or anyone else, I need to spend time and talk to them. God, of course, doesn’t talk back to me in a booming voice from the top of a mountain. In many ways, I think I would like to hear Him booming directions to me, but I know that isn’t going to happen. The way that I converse with God is through prayer.

Just like conversations with my friends, I can’t just say a few sentences in a prayer to God and run off without listening. A relationship implies that it is two way – me to God and God to me. So when I pray, I take as much time as I need to fully express my thoughts and feelings. I tell God everything whether it is good, bad, happy, sad, depressing or terrifying. I believe He listens, but something else happens during my prayers to God.

I hear myself.

I have heard and listened to myself long enough that I have come to know the real me.

My battered soul almost lost all light, so while praying, I focus on the part of me that is still intact. Yes, I embrace the light within my soul and I cling to it like a wounded child. Once I finally accepted myself with all my frailties, errors, shortcomings, mistakes, blunders, weaknesses, fears, accomplishments, motivations and dreams, it was much easier to love myself. Face it, there is only one me and only one you. There won’t ever be a duplicate, so we are all rather special.

Whichever way you use to find your light so that you can embrace it, the one thing you can’t do is rush the process. You can’t pray fast or meditate quickly. You must take your time. It is a slow process and truly a journey.

As I look into the mirrored lined space in the bookcase, the porcelain figurines reflect “life and (a) memory of love and home and earthly pleasures.” As I look in the mirror at myself, I can see my agonized, hurt, vulnerable and often confused soul. But when I embrace the light within myself and ignore all the things around me, I feel knowledge, forgiveness, peace and acceptance. My light shines softly now, but it is more beautiful than it has ever been and eventually it will shine bold and bright again.

Have you taken the time to embrace the light within you? If not, I encourage you to do so and enjoy getting to know the real you.