# The Quiet Glow

## Light's Gentle Bend

A halo forms when sunlight filters through thin clouds, bending into a perfect ring around the sun. It's not the sun's doing alone—it's the ice crystals in the air, each one refracting light just so. On a crisp winter day, you might glance up and see it: a circle of pale rainbow, subtle against the sky. No fanfare, just quiet beauty emerging from ordinary conditions.

## The Halo Within

We carry our own halos, invisible until light catches them right. Think of it as the warmth that lingers after a kind word or a steady hand in tough times. It's not flashy perfection, but a soft glow born from small acts—listening without interrupting, sharing a meal, forgiving a slight. These moments bend our inner light outward, encircling those around us in quiet protection. In a world of sharp edges, this halo reminds us that goodness doesn't demand center stage; it radiates from the edges.

## Seeing Halos Everywhere

Once you notice one, they appear more often. In a stranger's patient smile during rush hour. In the way fog hugs a streetlamp at dawn. To find yours, pause amid the haze—breathe, extend a hand, let light pass through. No need for grand gestures; the halo thrives in simplicity.

*On February 4, 2026, I looked up and saw mine, faint but true.*