Negative Space

The fluffy white clouds were so beautiful a few days ago, that I laid on my back, like when I was a kid, and watched them go by, smiling about the shapes I saw as they floated past: a mermaid, a dragon, a chicken leg, a sheep. But then, something interesting happened -- the clouds began to get thicker and soon almost the whole sky was white, save for some dark blue negative space that passed by as quickly as the clouds -- and the negative spaces had shapes all their own, that were beautiful in their own way: a dove, an angel, a smile. What a revelation it was -- that the dark places and negative spaces in our lives, when viewed from a different perspective, can have a beauty and grace all their own. It made me think of those optical illusions where a vase can actually be seen as two faces about to kiss, depending on where you place your focus. And it made me realize that you can make meaning of the dark just as easily as the light -- if you can take the time to lie back and watch with an open heart, a creative mind and a spirit of wonder.