With Light Comes Hope

The nights are always long and dark on the part of the planet that the locals refer to as The Edge of the World.

The first week of January is always bittersweet for Abigail. It’s cold, dark, often either wet and muddy, or icy. Regardless, it’s the most uninhabitable time of year.

Abigail let her mind wander away to what her life would be like without horses. The thought lasted about 30 seconds.

“Ha, ha, ha, ha” She let out a laugh and shook her head. She couldn’t even daydream of a life without horses. They were always there in her mind and her heart.

She thought about moving back to the mainland. There were proper barns and more horse-people off the island. Thoughts of forest fires and harsh winters quickly interrupted her fantasy. She knew what life would be like. She had done that before and deep down inside, had no desire to do that again.

Mud and darkness beat the reality of what the world she and her mother had left behind was becoming. Theft and corruption in once innocent places. Fires, floods, and landslides plagued the summers. It had become a world that Abigail never wanted to be a part of again.

Magic nudged her with his dainty black head, knocking her out of her thoughts. He had hoped it would hurry up the feeding process. Ponies were not too keen on waiting for food, and Magic was no exception. Abigail acknowledged the small black pony.

As she came to the present moment, she looked up from her chores. Letting her gaze wander to the East.

That’s when she noticed something that brought a new sense of hope to her heart. The horizon was brighter tonight. Looking down at her watch, she noticed that it was nearly 5:30. There was still some light left in the evening sky.

Venus twinkled with reassurance near the canopy of the forest where it met the ceiling of the sky. Abigail felt a stirring of excitement glimmering inside of her. She had realized that the minutes of the days were drawing more light.

It always starts not long after the new year. Every year, around this time, Abigail takes a few moments. Her personal ritual, acknowledging appreciation for the lengthening of days.

She knows there’s a long way to go before the day will entirely shed its skin of the dominating darkness of winter. Every minute gained reveals the brilliance of the more pleasant seasons to come. Thoughts of warming sunlight light returning to her life trapped her in a new fantasy.

She thought of all the hours after work she would enjoy the enjoy the life she had managed to build. It wasn’t the life she had dreamed of, but it was more of a life than she had in the winter. This fantasy brought her a sense of peaceful excitement. Fueled with new energy from her excitement, she finished the chores.

Sometimes hope is just what one needs, she thought.

Strength was something she was running out of these days. It seemed to be in short supply most of the winter. When spring finally came, her seasonal surge of energy would too. She could hardly wait. Abigail was sick of winter.

Wrapped her in a deep sorrow. Abigail needed spring to come more than ever. The grief of her mother’s passing, married with the grief of losing her dream life, weighed heavy on her soul. The good news of more a more pleasant season couldn’t come fast enough.

For most of the winter, sadness held her. Trapping her like a thick, wet blanket that lay heavy on her already fatigued body. She was more than ready to be free of its discomfort.

With every bit of extra light in the day, she found herself closer and closer to feeling better.

Winters were always tough. She accepted that, no matter how much she disliked it. Abigail refused to let it beat her. She knew, no matter what happened in the world, that the lengthening of days could be counted on. The sun would come back once again, tipping the scales in her favor. For as long as there has been time, there have been seasons. The seasons of light and dark have yet to let anyone down. They come and they go. They can be truly be counted on.

She took that glimmer of hope and planted it deep inside her like a seed. Letting it grow as the days started to grow lighter.