Welcoming Spring Light
The light is back!
But did you know that it's not just a matter of light/no light? The light in your home makes its appearance in different rooms and at different angles all through the year. In my Mom's Story class, we cover the topic of knowing the light in your house- most basically, where the sun rises and sets. But if you've mastered this in your own home, you're ready to start a more seasonal observation of light.
In my home, March might be my most favorite month of light. This is not only because I'm starved for it when it finally makes it grand entrance after a long winter of darkness. It's also because of where it comes in and how. In March, the light pours through my laundry room window and in a perfect ray down the hallway and front steps. It only will do this for a few weeks before the angle changes just the slightest bit so that it misses "the tunnel" and hits another part of the house. It kind of reminds me of those ancient, mystical places in Europe that were built hundreds and hundreds of years ago with a small hole that only lets the light shine down in a perfect shaft on one day per year. The earth must be in the exact position and tilt for everything to align.
In the morning in the kitchen, the light enters the window directly behind where my kids eat pretty much all year. However, IN MARCH, it enters at a really sharp, almost right angle so that the backlighting is sharp and tricky to work with. Last year, though, Erin Hensley's group Finding the Light taught me to search for reflected light. So now when that sharp backlight streams in, if there is a book or a cereal box or white milk carton in front of my kids, I know the light will be reflected back into their faces.
Like the morning light, the March evening light follows suit later in the day. The angle at which it comes into the living room is very sharp and direct and more slanty than any gorgeous summer night. Here are a few that illustrate the direction of the light from last March:
So what about your house? What is the light doing this month? If you haven't already, start a more in-depth investigation of light... you won't be sorry you paid attention!