Having had and raised a child, I spent many years indoors in the evening, observing early bedtimes. Recently I realized I was afraid of the night, and wanted to reclaim it. I started the practice of walking in the village at night with my dog.

Initially I was aware of my racing heart. I told myself, “There is nothing here in the dark that isn’t here in the light.” Dispelling negative notions, I searched for positivity.

I trained my eyes to see the night magic—how the middle of the street beckons when empty of cars, what the church steeple looks like when the moon is behind it, and the way the light falls, creating new awareness of structures.

Tonight, take a short walk in the dark. Let your heart slow and your eyes grow accustomed to the dark. See the night magic.