I finally wrote a letter that I have been needing to write. I put it off for months because I didn’t know what to say. Occasionally, I would try out a sentence or two in my head, then quickly dismiss them, telling myself the words just didn’t feel right and better ones would come later. What do you say to a friend who you can no longer call, text, or see in person, because he is in prison?  

It was a flash of light that drove me to put my pen to the paper and give it my best effort. Because of the season of Epiphany, I have spent recent weeks particularly attuned to anything related to light. A conversation about in vitro fertilization prompted a memory of an incredible video clip that captures the moment a human egg is activated by a sperm enzyme. Researchers from Northwestern University discovered something fascinating: a rapid release of zinc released from the egg causes sparks of light! The more intense the flashes, the more likely it is that a healthy embryo will form. 

We all, quite literally, begin as light. There really is a pure brightness inside of each one of us.

And this is what I wanted – needed - to say to my friend: 

You are still light. You always were. 

I love the light in you.