Quotes as Life Lessons

Rhea Mae Retanal

Ronald and his family’s modest home was among the several homes in Almagos that burned in an early-May fire. Everything changes when their house vanished. Alters the entirety of his existence, including his life and faith. By doing the things that could distract him and divert his attention away from the things that upset him, he is fighting his silent battle. Ram Dass once said, “The shadow is the greatest teacher for how to come to the light,” and Ronald keeps contemplating this while he completes his task in the middle of the night. The lamp next to Ronald is the only source of light. As he looked into the deeper meaning of the quote, he came to the realisation that the world is so harsh to him that he even questioned God about his existence—why does he even exist? His Mother’s death makes him anxious, and for him, it is stressful, but despite all the things he has been through, he still looks into the beauty of life around him. He learned from the quotation that the beauty and meaning of life can be found even in the depths of darkness, and that numerous doctrines are not quite what they are cracked up to be. Darkness is beautiful; it needs light and provides that light.