Reflection Wall

The Glimmer The world teaches us to watch for danger. Watch for bad news. Watch for disappointment. Watch for the next thing that might go wrong. We call them warning signs. Red flags. Triggers. We spend so much time looking for darkness that sometimes we forget to notice the light. Then one day, when you're not looking for it, a glimmer appears. An old man feeding birds like they're lifelong friends. A little girl laughing so hard she can barely catch her breath. Someone singing at a red light with the windows down and not a care in the world. A couple holding hands after fifty years together. A stranger helping another stranger without asking for recognition. Tiny moments. Ordinary moments. Moments most people walk past. But every now and then, one catches your eye. And for a second, the weight gets lighter. For a second, the noise grows quiet. For a second, you remember there is still good in this world. Sometimes a glimmer makes you smile. Sometimes it makes you laugh. Sometimes it catches you so off guard that a snort slips out before you can stop it. And sometimes, on the days when your heart feels tired, a glimmer is enough. Not enough to fix everything. Not enough to erase pain. Not enough to solve every problem. Just enough to remind you that hope is still here. That joy is still here. That kindness is still here. The world changes one person at a time. Maybe it changes one glimmer at a time too. So when you find one, hold onto it. And when you can, be one for somebody else. The idea for this poem was inspired by Ronda's "Glimmer Alert" on WCQR Morning Radio. Her reminder to look for small moments of joy helped shape both this poem and the vision for the Glimmer Board community project.