Day from Night
The separation of light from dark is a daily event, marking the beginning and end of daylight hours and the transition into the darkness of night. The two never truly cross paths, but transition with the entry and exit of the sun into the skies overhead. Days full of sunshine seem to instill some bit of hope, especially after long periods of rain or unbroken cloud. By contrast, nights seem unshakably dark. The moon occasionally rides high and illuminates the landscape in eerie blue shadows, but for the most part, nights are dark -- an uncomfortable thing compared to the light that chases it away. So fundamental is this balance and our appreciation of light our vernacular includes expressions like, "dawning of a new day" or "age." And despite the presence of darkness for half of a 24 hour period, we yet refer to these as a day. It is also true, however, that not all dawns bring with them hope no matter how brightly the sun shines. The...