In her book, "Eat, Pray, Love," author Elizabeth "Liz" Gilbert chronicles her adventures in Italy, India, and Indonesia as she searches to find a life that is truly hers.
Relatable?
During the leg of her trip that found her in Italy, Liz meets up with a friend named Linda who she describes as wearing crushed red-velvet pants, which I imagine is the best way to describe her personality, as Linda is quoted saying, "Admittedly, I am not the one who looks fantastic in everything, but still I cannot help loving myself."
Don't you already love her?
Liz describes Venice as a sort of terrifying, spooky, eerie place, obviously not somewhere you would want to travel alone. For this reason, she considers Linda her codega, in reference to a job from the Middle Ages in which the hired would walk ahead of you with a light, keeping you safe from terror, mythical or real.
I want my own codega! First of all, you have to admit the title of the job is pretty amazing-fantastic. Secondly, how great would it be to have someone walk ahead of you, every step you take, and protect you from what lies ahead. A nice alert would come your way to the tune of, "Hey there's some darkness ahead, but I have my lantern, and my light will pierce through that darkness, I'll keep you safe." Or even a simple warning, not telling you all will be fixed, but giving you reality, allowing you to prepare.
On another note, I love Mister Rogers. I want to hang out with Mister Rogers. Heck, I want to BE Mister Rogers. You've probably heard him quoted as saying,
"When I was a boy and I would see scary things in the news, my mother would say to me, "Look for the helpers. You will always find people who are helping." To this day, especially in times of "disaster," I remember my mother's words and I am always comforted by realizing that there are still so many helpers – so many caring people in this world."
Who are the helpers? The codegas. The ones who carry the lantern ahead and say, "Come with me! I know the way. Things are scary, but I will go with you!" Because isn't that what we want? It's nice if someone can "fix" things, but what is even better is someone who will hold your hand and be by your side in the darkness and the unknown.
Just like Mister Rogers, we look for the helpers, the lights, the codegas who will lead us home. I'm guessing that these are actually always around us, we only need to open our eyes and see.
In the words of Coldplay, lights will guide you home. So, hold on tight and experience it all. The light and the dark. Because you are not alone. There are lights all around, pointing back to the brilliant source of light. It will be worth it.
