Light is life – Without light, there would be no photosynthesis and therefore no oxygen. Without oxygen, life as we know it would not exist. Not I, nor you, nor anyone else. Can you imagine that? Plants use sunlight to make food, other creatures eat plants, and we eat them both! All life is one. Light is the bond that connects all living things, great and small.

Light is time – Ancient people used the sundial to mark time. Even with digital clocks today, we still define our day by the movement of the sun: morning, noon, afternoon, and evening. The shifting of the sun through the year still marks the seasons, and astronomers measure the distance between celestial bodies in light years, the distance light travels in one year.

Light is exploration – Ancient sailors navigated by the light of the stars and the moon. Today, light allows cave explorers to probe every crack and crevice and scientists to discover what lies below in the deep, dark ocean.

Light is progress – Human civilization is built upon light. First it was fire; now it is artificial light. The ability to function beyond daylight hours has greatly increased productivity and expanded the range of human experiences. Undeniably, modern society would be impossible without light at night.

Light is information – Light from the stars tells us what happened over there millions of years ago, and light carries millions of telephone conversations and Internet downloads in fiber optic cables.

Light is mood – Romantic candlelit dinners and moonlit walks. White sand beaches and aquamarine water evoke a sense of paradise. Shadows evoke a sense of mystery and dark clouds, foreboding and dread. Clear blue skies and twinkling Christmas lights, a sense of joy.

Light is fun – What do Xbox, Playstation, CD and DVD players all have in common? The laser. TV and movie projectors also use light sources. Could we live without these things? Sure, but life would be very different indeed.

Light is beauty and art – Separated by cascading raindrops, white light becomes a rainbow. Rembrandt was renowned for his ability to capture the lighting of his subjects’ faces. The Impressionists raced to capture the lighting of a particular moment because no two moments are the same. Architects will tell you that every location on earth has its unique lighting and that this lighting dictates what structures ‘belong’ there.

Light touches almost facet of our being and connects us all – Light is life.