They have a way of creeping in to your world, your soul. Soundlessly, they enter without asking, without consideration, many times without you even knowing…until there’s no way to avoid them. They play with your mind and your heart with no regard to your feelings.

They have a funny way of distorting your reality, and making your reality even darker than you ever imagined it could be. Shadows often bring with them uncertainty – a blanket of indecisiveness and questions…many questions. Loneliness, a common sidekick.

Shadows know how to suffocate the unsuspecting. Suspicion haunts you.

As daunting as shadows can be, there is light around the corner, if you seek it, reach for it, expect it. The shadows will always be lurking, but so will your desire to find the beauty in the light about to break through. For shadows will haunt even the happiest soul, but the light will guide you through those moments and find you sitting with the shadows, not with grief, but with hope for the coming light and strength for a new day.

Check out Rachael’s and Marcela’s.

Below are the other shadow submissions for this week. Very fun, y’all! Thanks for participating!

A. Candice Fox – N. Augusta, SC: I found this new app for photos and have been playing with it almost constantly, since it seems to make my mediocre (at best!) pictures just a bit more interesting. So while following the kids around taking pictures I came across this… Haley in the back yard searching for rocks for a science project, flanked by her “shadow” (the little brother, of course :)!! I thought it turned out pretty neat – or at least not bad for a phone, huh?!

B. Heather Fielder – Evans, GA: My family’s shadow and their favorite things to do.

C. Jordan Nuques – Martinez, GA: I have wrought iron railing on my porch which casts the coolest shadows in the late afternoon sun. I enjoy watching these shadows creep slowly across the floor of the porch as I rock in my rocking chair and the girls hunt for bugs or weed flowers in the grass. When the shadow reaches the wall and begins to climb, it is my signal that it’s time to go inside. It’s my own personal sun dial.

NEXT WEEK’S ASSIGNMENT:

Ok, this is a biggie. Get your thinking hats and put them on tight! Your assignment for next week is……YOUR CHOICE! What?! What am I supposed to do with that?  Anything you want!!! Submit your photo to me by Sunday if you’d like it included in my post. Happy shooting!

~Melissa