15 Nov There cannot be dark without light

As the days get shorter, more and more of our daily commute is in darkness. For some who work their days in an office or warehouse this is less than appealing. Leaving home in the dark, working the day under artificial light, and then driving home in the dark. However, it is important to remember that these darker days are a necessary part of life. They remind us that we cannot have the light without the dark, the good times without the bad, highs without lows. Everything is defined not only by what it is but also by what it is not. In this world we must have the opposite to understand and appreciate the whole. Take for example health, which is easily taken for granted, until we come down with a cold or the flu. Once we are reminded of what it is like to be unwell we suddenly realise how good it feels to be fit and healthy. What is more, if we didn’t have ill health, if it didn’t exist, we could not appreciate how amazing it is to feel well and able.

Going back to driving, if we didn’t have these days, weeks and months of commuting in the dark, we could not appreciate how good it feels to drive home with hours of light left in the day during the height of summer. These darker days are essential for the lighter days to exist and be loved, and must be held with the same appreciation so that we remain focused on the bigger picture. So, next time you’re driving in the dark remember that there cannot be dark without light, that darkness is just the other side of the coin from light, and that the one constant in the universe is change and lighter days will come again, as surely as day will follow night.

Drive safe, drive happy.