Meaning of a Lighthouse
Lighthouses are more. They were always something more. When these noble ones were young – long before they would wear a crown deemed historic, their presence still inferred a noteworthy purpose that transcended any other structures of a time once contemporary.
A mere glance, even by the most unaware of people from centuries ago, confirmed it so. For one did not have to understand what a lighthouse was to sense a prominence tethered to its bearing. This intuitive grasp has proven perennial.
How? I believe it is because lighthouses are part real and part spiritual. Surely, lighthouses are beautiful and majestic. Some are even engineering marvels. Yet, these truths alone cannot adequately explain the aura that has embraced lighthouses throughout the ages.
In a word, lighthouses are compelling. There is an inherent universal essence that embodies their aim. Lighthouses speak one language that is readily understood by all vernaculars. And what a lighthouse conveys is not mere counsel for courses chartered, but an innermost comfort to souls plying perilous waters as well.
Of course lighthouses were established to protect lives, ships and cargoes. A vast network of guardians, with a sole purpose to guide and warn, was developed throughout the world. Once built, such edifices required keepers, and the keepers were required to possess an unwavering vigilance for duty bound to the lifesaving powers of light and sound.
Nothing more, nothing less. Right?
Happily, the answer is, scarcely. For the influence of lighthouses has always far exceeded their intended practicality. And we as a people are richer because of their diverse offerings amidst life’s unfolding.
As undisputed is their usefulness, lighthouses are also eminently symbolic. Be it notions such as kindness, steadfastness or strength, their symbolism shines a bright light on many aspects of a coastal community’s enduring fabric. Whether lighthouses preside over spectacular headlands, remote islands or wave-swept ledges, the pictography is unaffected.
In fascinating fashion, lighthouses also mirror the character and purpose of a people who straddle the edge where land and sea tussle – and these independent clans would have it no other way. For the lighthouse embodies their uniqueness, their traditions and a fierce determination to hold their ground in an ever-changing world.
History records how lighthouses have had a vital impact on navigational safety and coastal communities wherein they reside, yet their virtuosity extends even further – to YOU!
Lighthouses are there for every season of our emotional ups and downs. Times when we go forth in boldness toward new horizons and times when we batten down the hatches of the heart. Times when we seek inspiration and times when we long for solitude to reflect on what was, is and will be.
In ways mysterious, lighthouses prove to be a heart’s anchor during times of fun and times of dismay. In times of youth and times long lived. Times of romance and times of loss. Like an old friend, lighthouses are there for us. They cannot speak or hear, yet somehow lighthouses “listen” and comfort us. Most of all, lighthouses give us hope and make us smile.
One more thing! Lighthouses are always guiding us home. For the mariner, home means safe passage. For a coastal community, home means a sense of place. For people like you and me, home means a heart contented.
Vast and elusive are the meanings that cling to lighthouses. So then, what is the essential meaning of a lighthouse? You decide! Therein, YOUR meaning – the only meaning that matters, is discovered.
Bob, this was a very insightful piece. Excellent!