Dare to reach out your hand into the darkness, to pull another hand into the light. ~Norman B. Rice

Light has a special ability to permeate sadness, anger, frustration, grief, jealousy and even to interrupt episodes of all encompassing happiness. Turning darkness in its emptiness, where colours and images only exist within the mind, to physical, sensual brightness, results in a shift of consciousness. Within light, no matter how bright or dim, the world which is touched is set apart. It is emphasised for us, highlighted; singing an exquisite, enchanting melody which captivates us and makes us take notice. It's duration of engagement may be as tiny as a fleeting moment and may not even be remembered but light has the potential to be impressive.

Candles in their plain simplicity- little lumps of wax and a piece of twisted fibre, when touched with fire become instruments which host light and disperse it as far as it can reach, dancing and flickering on the pieces of the world it affects.

Light makes me smile. Bringing people to dance in the light with me for even a second makes me smile. People who bring me to dance there and who offer happy, open invitationsto those around them to play there make me smile.

A tiny, lit candle and a washed out jar; light in all its splendour*

Beauty is pretty obvious.

I was working once with a group of children which included a  little boy with Down's Syndrome. He needed special attention and assistance and so my assistant for the class had become his very own assistant; and he loved her. My young, male colleague, after class one day as we were chatting, leaned against the wall and nodded in the direction of the pretty, blonde, teenage assistant who was doing some sweeping at the other end of the hall.  "Did you see the way that little boy adored her, and couldn't stop gazing up at her?" he asked me. "Life is so easy when you're pretty." The second comment said with the slightest hint of resentfulness. The guy himself was not by any means unattractive but clearly had self-image issues and regretted the fact that he himself was not in that 'pretty' category that would make his life so easy.
 He was right in that the girl was very attractive and the little boy obviously thought her very pleasant to look at and probably also because of her naturally good way with him, he warmed to her in his own little way. It is true that there are people who are just so physically striking, that not staring and refraining from desperately wanting to take in every detail can be very difficult and even embarrassing when you make eye contact a little too much! I don't know though how easy good looks make one's life. I can only imagine that very beautiful people are inflicted by alot of unwanted attention, ontop of the desirable amount that anyone would be pleased with.
Apparently 'beauty is in the eye of the beholder' and as illustrated by this case, so the idea of an easy life is also in the mind of the beholder. I'm not sure what my colleague felt classified an easy life.. not having to fight for attention? Being loved by everybody simply because of the way you look? And there are many frogs out there who are not 'pretty' but who are very well loved and I'm sure have relatively easy lives. These frogs even turn out to be somebody's Prince Charmings in the end.
Very beautiful people are obviously so. Their physical features make them stand out and everyone enjoys looking at that which is pretty. Sometimes though, this beauty, is the beauty which is too obvious. There's something far more pleasing in the discovery of 'pretty' in a place you never expected it*

If you don't kiss the frogs, you'll never know if they were your Happy Ever After or not!

Think a happy thought.

Belle only gets knots in her ears.

Notorious for overthinking and working myself into frequent unnecessary knots, my sister gave me a book for Christmas: 'Stop thinking, start living' by Richard Carlson. In her inscription on the inside cover, she told me not to be offended. Actually on the contrary, I thought it was a perfectly appropriate present and couldn't wait to discover this new philosophy that was going to allow me to make pretty bows in my head rather than tangled, impossible knots. The very simple foundation for the magic is based on the fact that our thoughts control our emotions. It is only when we think about and focus on negative things in our lives that negative emotions emerge. Every life is full of problems, but the person who dwells on them and overtalks them through will never have a clear enough mind to be easily able to come to a resolution for them. The most superb gem of wisdom, though really very obvious when pointed out, is that we have complete control over our thoughts. When thoughts pop into our heads that arouse frustration or sadness or annoyance we can just as easily pop their little bubble and choose not to think about them.
I'm summarising very simply and briefly but it's probably the most sensible book I've come across in the 'Make your life wonderful' genre. I've noticed such a change in my little head, simply from the realisation that I don't have to allow myself to be controlled by my thoughts. I can choose what I want to think about and very pleasantly feel empowered to be able to live in the moment and not constantly focusing on tomorrow or a year ago. There's been no miracle and life's problems still exist but not allowing my thoughts to complicate, means I can wade through them instead of getting hopelessly stuck in the middle. I have a choice to be happy or the opposite of it. Thanks to my little sister I'm determined to make thinking less my new year's resolution. I'm pretty sure my family and friends and certainly I, will appreciate even a 50% reduction in tangles inside Karen. Better to catch the thread before knots snarl and while bows are still possible*

"All that we are is the result of what we have thought. The mind is everything. What we think we become.”
Hindu Prince Gautama Siddharta, the founder of Buddhism, 563-483 B.C.

Where the fairies live.

This is where the fairies live, in the shade of the tallest, furriest tree in the forest.

I live in a country that for years has been greedy and extravagant and consequently now, where many people struggle to pay bills and financially survive on a day to day basis. Our governments have tried and still try to fix the problems with the good of the country in mind but the task is gargantuan. Time and patience and perhaps everything will right itself again.

I personally don’t have a job, I survive by the skin of my teeth on money I earn during the summer and bits and pieces I pick up during the year. I’m a full time student, with fees to pay, a car to run, rent, food and living costs, but this is my choice. I gave up a life of financial comfort to follow my heart and dedicate my time and myself to becoming an artist. However risky a decision it was and however difficult things are, it was my choice and I’m so glad I made it. Others don’t have a choice.

Hungary spent most of its history being ruled by people and bodies who didn’t have the good of the country in mind. Communism and Soviet rule told the people how to live their lives; no freedom, no choice. Hungary gained freedom in 1989 and became a republic, allowed to create finally, their own government, a government who would grant them their own lives, as free, Hungarian people.

On 2^nd January, just 2 days ago, 30 000 people rallied in Budapest against changes to the constitution brought in by their prime minister, Viktor Orban. The terrifying  notion hovers grimly in the air that this government and its most powerful leader does not have the best interests of the country and freedom for the Hungarian people at heart. ‘His democratic and economic credentials are increasingly in question’ according to BBC news. The threat of history repeating itself is real and horrifying.

 My heart cries for the country that gave me almost 4 months of freedom to find myself and the freedom to create and live and love as I chose. I, in my own world can do no more to help than the fairies that live under the toadstool in the shade of the giant tree, only hope that the strength of the Hungarian people will prevail and love will come out on top.