How many times in my life have I heard "nothing good happens at night." I'm sure growing up this comment referred to crime or some other form of devious behavior, but good things really can happen in the dark.

Just so you know.

I'm fascinated by moon flowers. These are flowers that only bloom at night and are pollinated by moths instead of bees or butterflies. And once they bloom, their petals fall off.
http://plantsinmotion.bio.indiana.edu/plantmotion/flowers/moonflower/moon.html

Imagine blooming under the light of the moon! How special is that? How many other flowers can say they have that ability?

None!

I've been thinking a lot about the darkness lately as you know. There's a lot of guilt there because I know (or have been told by others!) that I should focus on the positives...get out of the dark and move into the light with the rest of the world.

But what if my positives are in the dark?

Is that necessarily a bad thing?

Maybe not!

Is it really necessary that I change my nature just to fit into the mold that others deem more acceptable?

This is who I am! I am strong, beautiful, confident and in full bloom! The only problem is, when I am at my brightest, most of the world seems to be asleep.

I am not a night owl. I need a lot of sleep, so perhaps this concept is figurative only.

Is it possible to feel like I "bloom" the most when mentally I'm "in the dark"?

I think so!

I think most people fear the dark because of what they can't see lying there.

But I don't have that problem.

I've stocked my dark places with some of the most valuable parts of my life: memories, pictures, conversations, dreams and fears. THESE are the things that allow me to flourish, even if the process is sometimes overwhelming.

But I think I've figured out that being in the dark is okay. It doesn't have to be all bad.

The darkness can be my safe haven. There, I can be my most honest and vulnerable.

There, I feel safe.

But life isn't a vacuum. There is still light in the darkness: stars, the moon and lightning bugs...

And moon flowers bloom under this light, way after all of the other flowers, birds and bugs have called it a day.

As my day ends, I am preparing to bloom. I feel a renewed sense of hope that something good can come from all of this confusion.

Wow. Me, a moon flower. Who knew?