“The moon has her light all over the sky, her dark spots to herself.”Rabindranath Tagore · Păsări răzlețe · 1916 · 28
Those who light up others' lives are often left alone with their own darkness.
The image of the moon shows a paradox of giving: the one who lights the whole sky has no one to light her. Spending light on the clouds is generosity, yet the dark spots remain hers, unseen by those she helps. The mechanism is that of roles: a parent holding up a family, a teacher guiding others, or the friend everyone brings problems to gives clarity outward and carries loneliness and weakness inward. To be a source of light is not to be free of shadow.
Why it matters It speaks to those who are everyone's support and forget they need support too.