"Everything is light."

a lesson on writing and recovery from physics

Before kids and sleepless nights and gray hairs, on one of our first dates, my husband explained to me how light works.

He is a physicist and knows a lot of things (he will willingly tell you this – love you, honey).

“Everything is light. When we look at each other, what we are seeing is light bouncing off of the light of each other.”

Not your typical budding romance conversation, but I was into it. The writer in me, swooning. Light is the most beautiful metaphor. For life, for love, for writing, and recovery.

“In order to see, there must be light. Light shines on an object, then bounces off, or reflects, back to our eyes.”¹

Our eyes detect visible light, comprising various colors like red, yellow, and blue, but there also exists numerous types of light beyond our visual spectrum. Some animals, such as bees, can perceive ultraviolet light, which emanates from sources like black lights and can cause sunburn.

Light behaves like waves, like ocean or sound waves, carrying energy across distances.

Photo by Josh Boot on Unsplash

Unlike sound waves, light waves can traverse even through space. Moving through empty places, traveling. These waves, termed electromagnetic waves, consist of a blend of electricity and magnetism. They travel exceptionally fast, approximately 186,000 miles or 300,000 kilometers per second. This means that a beam of light can circle the Earth roughly 7.5 times in a single second.²

Now, tell me this science lesson doesn’t make your jaw hit the floor. I think even Bill Nye the Science Guy would be amazed and proclaim to the heavens: “What?!?”

In recovery, I’ve often heard this phrase from loved ones:

“The light in their eyes is back.”

Walk into any recovery space and you’ll find this to be true.

There is a luminescence. A shining. From light to light, people in recovery share their hope with each other, sometimes with words, often times by just showing up and living their lives.

What my hunky, scientist husband reminds me is that the very make up of our bodies is light. Our souls, too. And when we are connected with a greater Light, I believe that we can shine.

In the book of Matthew after the Beatitudes, Jesus says:

You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.

One of the reasons I love Substack is that it is a virtual gathering of writers, many of whom are stepping bravely onto their “stand” giving light to everyone in the house.

In a world that often feels noisy, I like to sift through this noise and find those articles and letters and people who are beaming.

It’s often easier to retreat into our homes, communities, lives, and forget that the light we are made of, the light we are born from, is waiting to be shared.

Some of my dear friends and writers here [

Dr. Lee Warren

Jonathon M. Seidl

Christy Osborne

Ericka Andersen

Lisa Stanton, PhD

Blake Roberts, LMFT

] are sharing their hearts and lighting the way for others. It is an honor to write alongside you, friends.

Some are sharing wisdom about the craft of writing so that we can get better at shining [my fave new letter for writers is by Senior Editor at Penguin Random House,

Will Parker Anderson

and I’m a huge fan of

SLANT LETTER

].

What letters are moving you, shining their light in your life? Share in the comments!

If this is your Substack, self-promotion is welcome. Drop a link in the chat on where we can find you! Climb up on your stand, friend and shine your light. When we shine, we point to the One who first said, “Let there be light.”

Did you miss this year’s International Women’s Day Event on March 8th?

Paid subscribers get a chance to listen to the recording! Upgrade your subscription now to listen in on a host of speakers from all over the globe who are shining their light on the varied landscape that is addiction recovery.

Curious about what addiction recovery is? Take a listen! [also, if you want to listen in and a subscription isn’t for you, send me a DM and I’ll get you the link for free]

1. The University of Wisconsin-Madison. (n.d.). Light. The Wonders of Physics, Traveling Outreach Program. Retrieved May 7, 2024, from https://wonders.physics.wisc.edu/what-is-light/

2. The University of Wisconsin-Madison. (n.d.). Light. The Wonders of Physics, Traveling Outreach Program. Retrieved May 7, 2024, from https://wonders.physics.wisc.edu/what-is-light/