Borrowed Light—A Revelation

Valuing the Light that Shines Through

Impermanence is the Invitation

Nothing in our lives is permanent. This impermanence underscores the essentiality of living in the present.

While thankfully, the hard times eventually pass, unfortunately, the good times are also fleeting.

A few weeks ago, we visited my parents’ farm. My mom’s mind is quietly leaving her; she has Alzheimer’s.

When She Saw Me

After we left, my husband told me she was watching me as I tidied the kitchen. She told him how beautiful she thought I was. I brushed it off, as I’m inherently conditioned to do. Later, I reflected on how touching that was. In that moment in the kitchen, she saw me. She can’t always say what she means, but what she said this time meant everything.

Time is a fragile thing. It’s here, and just as quickly, it’s disappeared—vanished, with only memories leaving a trace. Unless you have Alzheimer’s, and then the memories escape, too.

Living in the present is all we can count on with certainty. Right now, I am here. I am well. I am safe. I’m learning to enjoy the good without dreading when the other shoe might fall.

Practicing the Present

To that point, I’ve incorporated a Buddhist prayer into my mindfulness practice. It’s an act of reminding myself and manifesting that I am happy, healthy, safe, and at peace. I say practice, because it truly takes intentional practice. The peace this brings allows me to use my mind for more creative endeavors.

The acts of creating and enjoying allow us to participate in the present. Writing, baking, playing games, clearing mental space, smelling the roses, basking in the sun—these are all forms of living creatively; therefore, living intentionally and fully.

Attention is Sacred

Creative living means noticing—paying attention. Attention is sacred. In that little bit of time at the farm, my mom was noticing. She may not have been actively looking for something, but she was present. Her mind was alive in that moment—she found joy. In that window, for her, she was lit from within. In turn, I’ve borrowed that light for motivation.

I’ve been thinking about the future me. Will Future Elaine remember this version of me, or remember me at all? Will she be proud?

A Gift to Future Me

I’m resolved to live creatively as a gift to the future me, so she can look back and say that I didn’t waste the present—the present as time, and the present as a gift. I’m determined to challenge and preserve my mind, so that the future me can remember.

Have you heard the song “Everyday Good" by Yanti Niels? “Alexa” played it for me one day when I was showering and asked for “happy music.” This song was exactly what I needed to hear.

It’s such a sweet take on life—stress-free, enjoying all time has to offer, brushing off the things that aren’t perfect, taking time, intention, soaking in sights, sounds, feels—being satisfied with what one has. It’s the neural reprogramming that I’ve been practicing with intention rolled into a simple song.

The two lyrics that spoke to me the loudest?

• “I don’t need something new, just the life I’m walkin’ through.”

• “Still got dreams, still got today.”

I’m walking through this life—not getting stuck in the good or the bad. Every day that I wake up brings the opportunity to live anew. Impermanence isn’t a threat; it’s illuminating—an invitation to live.

Today, I have dreams—maybe even bigger than before. I’ve got a lot to do—a lot of creative, intentional living. As long as I still have dreams, I have hope for a tomorrow designed by me.

Borrowing the Light

Will the present last forever if we intentionally live in it? Yes and no. The present will always be here if we pay attention to it. However, the present is ever-changing as it merges with the future.

In today’s present, the sun may be shining. For tomorrow’s present, you may have to be the one to bring the light. Some days you’ll have to borrow it.

Creative living doesn’t always have to come from within. You can borrow what you see, hear, or feel to create your own peace and path.

A Challenge for Today

My mission, and my challenge to you, is to enjoy the present as it comes. Embrace the uncertainty. Live creatively. Let’s share the light. Let it be a spark that makes today good, and be good with it.

Make today a day the Future You wants to remember.

Making cookies with my mom—Christmas 2025