Living & Growing: Finding the balance between light and dark

Living & Growing: Finding the balance between light and dark

It’s not always easy here in Alaska.

To go in the dark with a light is to know the light.

To know the dark, go dark. Go without sight,

and find that the dark, too, blooms and sings,

and is traveled by dark feet and dark wings.

— To Know the Dark by Wendell Berry

“I was in the dark.” That phrase can evoke some pretty strong emotions. Emotions of emptiness and hopelessness, of blindness and fear. And why not? Us humans face dark places, dark situations, in our lives on a regular basis. Darkness can be scary. And what remedies this darkness? Light. Seeing the light. Shedding light.

But when it comes to actual physical darkness and light. Well, I’m a fan of them both.

It wasn’t always this way. As a kid I was afraid of the dark. My imagination worked overtime at night, turning ordinary noises and shadows into things surreal and ominous. A night light was my friend.

ADVERTISEMENT
0 seconds of 0 secondsVolume 0%
Press shift question mark to access a list of keyboard shortcuts
00:00
00:00
00:00
 

My first experience with “total darkness” happened on my first wilderness camping trip. I was in my late twenties when an outdoorsy friend of mine invited me on a three-day adventure into the Boundary Waters Canoe Area in northern Minnesota. We lucked out with ideal weather; sunny skies, not too hot, calm waters for paddling a canoe. I loved it. Until that first dark night.

There wasn’t even a moon. Yes, I had a flashlight that provided a small circle of light in front of me. But what about all the darkness beyond that small circle? While my friend crashed around in the woods gathering wood for a fire, not caring about the weird noises and what might attack him in the dark, I sat in one place, pretty freaked out. Every now and then my friend would stop moving and I wouldn’t know where he was so I’d call out “where are you now?!” and he’d answer “over here, big chicken.” It was so dark I could barely see my hand inches from my face.

And the flashlight didn’t really help me feel less afraid. Having that bright light in my eyes actually made the darkness seem darker. Shutting off the light gave my eyes a chance to adjust and I found I could see … better. I recall making myself take deep breaths and focus calmly on what I could hear and what I could see.

What I could see was stars. An incredibly beautiful sky full of them. I’d seen stars before, obviously, but not so brightly. The complete lack of light pollution made the sky surreal – but not ominous. That first night I was still grateful for the campfire and when I had to wander into the woods to go potty, my flashlight. But something changed in me and I started to crave what I could see in that darkness.

In fact, the very next night we opted to not have a campfire so we could see the sky better. I tried not to use my flashlight. Relied on my “night vision” to get me around our camp site. And in the dark, I found this lovely peace and quiet I’d never before experienced.

Humans need darkness. When we don’t get adequate amounts of time in the dark, it messes with our natural circadian rhythms (it’s scientific). All those little lights on our electronic devices, the street lights coming through the window, all those ways we try to eliminate total darkness disrupt a natural balance between dark and light. Naturally dark environments are actually an important resource all living things need to function well.

I know, I know. It’s not easy to balance light and dark here in Alaska. We live in a place where there are excessive amounts of each. But it’s worth it to find what is good about each and appreciate and be thankful for what we find.

That appreciation gives a whole new meaning to the phrase “I was in the dark.”

Author Becky Corson

Author Becky Corson


• Becky Corson is a member of Shepherd of the Valley Lutheran Church. “Living Growing” is a weekly column written by different authors and submitted by local clergy and spiritual leaders.


More in Neighbors

Sabrina Donnellan and her family attend a community luncheon for federal employees at Shepherd of the Valley Lutheran Church on Saturday, March 8, 2025. (Jasz Garrett / Juneau Empire file photo)
Living and Growing: Choose empathy during these difficult times

“It is your concern when your neighbor’s wall is on fire.” —… Continue reading

Braised carrots with garlic and thyme, freshly cooked. (Photo by Patty Schied)
Cooking For Pleasure: Braised carrots with garlic and thyme

When I was growing up, my parents never, ever served cooked carrots… Continue reading

On a nice day it’s always safe to talk about the weather. (City and Borough of Juneau photo)
Gimme A Smile: What to say when you’ve got nothing to say

It could happen, right? Despite your very best efforts, you could find… Continue reading

A black bear sow and her cub walk along the Trail of Time at the Mendenhall Glacier Visitor Center. (Michael Penn / Juneau Empire file photo)
Living and Growing: The bear

The folks of Southeast Alaska are fortunate in that we sometimes experience… Continue reading

Laura Rorem is a member of The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. (Courtesy photo)
Living and Growing: Practicing true patience

“Have patience, have patience, Don’t be in such a hurry, When you… Continue reading

Just-baked cinnamon rolls ready to serve. (Photo by Patty Schied)
Cooking For Pleasure: Easy cinnamon rolls

My father really loved cinnamon rolls. In his later years I would… Continue reading

The Rev. Tim Harrison is the senior pastor at Chapel by the Lake. (Courtesy photo)
Living and Growing: The numbers tell the story

I love numbers and math. One of my first career aspirations was… Continue reading

Page Bridges of Holy Trinity Episcopal Church in Juneau. (Photo courtesy of Page Bridges)
Living and Growing: Spiritual self defense

True spiritual power is quiet, under the radar. One beautiful thing about… Continue reading

A bowl of gumbo. (Photo by Patty Schied)
Cooking For Pleasure: Shrimp gumbo for Mardi Gras

I love gumbo. Several years ago I was lucky enough to go… Continue reading

Nuns wait for a seating area to be opened before a recitation of the rosary for Pope Francis’ health at St. Peter’s Square in Vatican City, on Monday night, Feb. 24, 2025. (James Hill/The New York Times)
Living and Growing: Let us journey together in hope

Friends, we are a little over a week away from the beginning… Continue reading

Fresh rainwater sits on top of the ice at Auke Lake. (Michael Penn / Juneau Empire file photo)
Gimme A Smile: Looking for spring in all the wrong places

Is it spring yet? Is it spring yet? We’re through Valentine’s Day,… Continue reading

Tari Stage-Harvey is the pastor of Shepherd of the Valley Lutheran Church. (Photo courtesy of Tari Stage-Harvey)
Living and Growing: Seeing is believing

Christians are nearing the time of Lent, 40 days of repentance and… Continue reading