The Narrow Gate
“And sometimes, it is the narrowest passages, where the walls are caving in, that lead us to the most expansive and abundant versions of ourselves.”
I took this photograph a year ago during an art walk in Woodstock, Cape Town, using my cracked Samsung A12. I nearly walked past it. An ordinary gate caught my attention. Looking through its narrow opening, I noticed the sun positioned perfectly. For a brief moment, everything seemed beautifully aligned. I took the picture.
I love how the different shades, raw textures and shadows create a beautiful dance between darkness and light. Their coexistence gives the image its depth and beauty.
It got me thinking…
We naturally gravitate towards light. It represents joy, hope and happiness. Darkness, on the other hand, is associated with the unknown, discomfort, vulnerability and, perhaps most painfully, shame.
Yet sometimes, beyond the discomfort of the unknown lies a world of abundant possibilities…where we begin to see the light.
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Wait what? Pause. What exactly is the unknown? Or am I just trying to sound deep? 😂
Okay let me get real with it.
Having a child outside marriage at 21, while completing my undergraduate degree, was 100% not on my bingo card. I had always considered myself picture-perfect. Miss Goody Two Shoes. It was an identity I held in high regard.
How did I end up here? Why me? I am a smart woman. How the hell did this happen?
I spent YEARS grieving the person I thought I was, without knowing who I was becoming. I had to confront the possibility that my life would look nothing like I had imagined.
Eventually, I let go of needing all the answers. I became less concerned with managing how others perceived me and more interested in being honest with myself. It feels like authentic self-confidence. In that process, I discovered strengths, gifts, embraced my imperfections and began liking the person I was becoming. I am also starting to enjoy parenting now. My kiddo is mad dope.
Maybe darkness isn’t always something to fear. Sometimes, it is where we confront ourselves and discover what light alone cannot reveal. Looking at this photograph, I am reminded that life, much like this image, finds its depth in the interplay between darkness and light.
I believe it is the narrowest passages, where the walls are caving in, that lead us to the most expansive and abundant versions of ourselves.
