Twilight

Twilight can be thought of more as a concept than as a time of day. When twilight is mentioned one immediately thinks of watching light dim to darkness, hearing a hush fall over the world, and sensing a waiting stillness; and this can happen at any time of day. The body senses the way the brain has been trained to feel about the word ‘twilight’ and responds with sensory reactions that have been associated with actual twilight or the idea of what actual twilight may be. There are both positive and negative feelings and responses regarding twilight; these are based on one’s personal feelings about endings and what endings mean. Besides being the timeless gap between day and night, twilight can also be considered as the state between middle age and old age, between a strong relationship and the end of a relationship, between a fulfilling career and the end of or retirement from a career. These transitions from endings to beginnings can be wonderful preparation for the next stage in life and an uplifting place from which to look back, but too frequently any ending is looked at as being negative. Instead these twilight transitions might better be looked upon as a vacation after strong travails and a pause before new and possibly daunting efforts. Having already completed the tasks being left behind, looking forward in a positive manner would be a natural and pleasant thing to do, though looking forward is often accompanied by worry and trauma. It is important not to get caught up in the completed story of the past just as it is important not to turn anticipation into anxiety and stress looking toward the future. Twilight can work best as a quiet bridge, with no traffic, conveying one from an ending to a beginning. Isn’t it better to relax and recharge in a quiet twilight than to remain wound tight?