Saturday, October 25, 2014

The Darker The Night, The Brighter The Light

EARLY MORNING Wednesday there was a serious windstorm in my world. I did not get a wink of sleep in the dark predawn hours.

Wind chimes played wildly like a dysfunctional symphony let loose by its conductor.

The noisy rattling, whistling and swooshing sounds outside the bedroom walls were intimidating and made it clear that life is unpredictable. I was relieved when calm came with the morning light.

During my walk I saw a house (pictured above), that adds considerable charm to the area, had been hit by a broken tree.

Sadly, it was not only broken branches and some trees that fell. A different storm was brewing across the country in the heart of Canada. I watched it unfold on the news.

Everyone knows by now that in the capital city of Ottawa a dashing young man with a beautiful big smile was shot to death.

Cpl. Nathan Cirillo was a soldier proudly guarding the National War Memorial. His whole bright life lay ahead of him when suddenly he was struck down. A picture truly is worth a thousand words when you see an inspired depiction of the tragedy by a cartoonist HERE.

There was no calm but mass confusion after this storm. It left in its wake broken hearts that likely have yet to comprehend the full significance of what happened. Cirillo and Warrant Officer Patrice Vincent, killed a few days earlier in Quebec, inadvertently became the symbols of which monuments are made.

Attacks on the Canadian psyche, for whatever motivation, do not weaken but strengthen resolve. Heroes emerge and reassessment and rebuilding takes place on national as well as personal levels after terrible storms.

We have all heard it said, and hope it is true, that the darker the moment the brighter the light that will shine through.

Visit Postcards From Penelope Puddle to view more BC scenes.

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Copyright by Penelope Puddlisms

16 comments:

  1. A poignant post, and I will always remember Corporal Cirillo and Warrant Officer Vincent and mourn their passing.


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  2. Maria, it has not been a kind week. A very nice post and great images! Hope all is well with you! I will be in Vancouver in Feb.

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  3. I can relate so well to this. I have about 8 different wind chimes and in storms they are pretty intense.

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  4. Hello, Maris, I understand how you felt compelled to post this by the recent two violent incidents. It was a big surprise in Japan that in one of the safest countries like Canada such incidents happened. A storm can be a metaphor for life. Usually we can see clear skies after a storm but in real life it takes time more or less. According to Japanese saying “Disaster strikes when people lose their memory of the previous one.” As a volcanic country, the original saying is mainly about natural disasters but can be related to any disaster including man-made ones. What happened in Canada will be a reminder to my country where terrorist attack (by Cult Aum) is getting a distant memory. With best wishes to the people of Canada.

    Yoko

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  5. I was so terribly sorry to hear about the awful news from Canada. We all seem to have the image of your beautiful country as peaceful and quiet and friendly (and stereotypes can be dangerous, even when they're good ones, I know). So I think 'the state of the world' really hit home with these violent incidents. BUT, your country came through it all by showing us how to act. Strong, thoughtful and hopeful. (going with the stereotypes again == I'm sure not everybody reacted in that way, but what I read and followed seemed like that.)

    (And the windstorm is a good metaphor

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  6. Such very sad news!! My thoughts and prayers are with the people of Canada!

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  7. Wow! Your photography is so 'warm and cozy' with that delightful house ~ yet I am saddened by the deaths you write about ~ World gone mad ~

    Happy Week to you ~

    artmusedog and carol (A Creative Harbor)

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  8. Yes, I echo Sylvia's sentiments.
    An unusual capture of that charming house - happy for the occupants that it appears the tree didn't fall through the roof! I also love your description of the storm and its effect on the windchimes - lovely!

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  9. Those were sad events in Canada that shatter lives and steal peace. Another school shooting in the US breaks my heart, too. But there is still beauty and kindness and love in the world, too.

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  10. Storms of either kind are unwelcome. A good post, and I agree that these attacks won't work, unless we give up our freedoms because of them.

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  11. Yes, two very sad events! But I do hope Canada does not over-react, especially since that it just what ISIS wants us to do. So far I feel like most Canadians are acting sanely and with dignity.

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  12. Hello, this is my first time visiting your blog and am verily taken with the way you express yourself. This storm is all over, unfortunately. I'm hoping that it will soon blow over.

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  13. Your beautiful images and words connect the storms of the earth with those of our minds in a most poignant way, Maria! And yes, that cartoon has awed me with the power of its comfort.

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  14. Such a lovely post, and I love your photos. The wind chimes are beautiful. Warm greetings from Montreal.

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  15. Yes, the storms of life blow and we are afraid. Such senseless tragedy and loss of life when the storm is caused by a misguided act of man. You've posted an apt metaphor.

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