the light shines through the noise and smoke

I always get a bit irritable at the approach of diwali. I think 'Oh no! another night of noise and smoke.' This year with the two month old baby I was specially dreading it. And we were invited to someone's house in the evening for a 'surprise' party. The surprise was spoilt by a muppet who smsed the girl who was meant to be surprised, apologising for his absence. Anyhow, it was loud and noisy outside. Kiarna, wasn't looking too happy and as we drove back home through the dust and the pollution, I was decidedly getting grumpier. Wondering what the scene at my home would be I was very pleasantly surprised. My neighbours had lit a whole bunch of little lamps on their balcony. We had a very irritable 2 month old with us, but my heart suddenly felt a bit peaceful. No noise from these lights. A wisp of smoke. No sparks. No multi-coloured sensory pillorying. Just peaceful light from these lamps. What Diwali is meant to be I'm told.

Somewhere it's written, 'The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it.'