AS we move into the first breezes of autumn, I am reminded that seasons are gifted and days precious.

We can be among those who embrace the opportunity to uplift, bring hope, and mend what is broken. As I write, I always appreciate you, the reader. We are on this journey together, simply standing on different spots of earth.

I was recently in Maine, where the Bass Harbor Lighthouse still stands. In September 1858, John Thurston climbed the tower and lit the lamp for the first time, marking the start of this beacon’s service. His title was simple: Light Keeper. His duty was weighty - to keep the flame alive so others might find their way home.

Standing by the lighthouse 167 years later, I pondered that past and considered the Light Keepers of the present - those whose quiet acts uplift others. Each day is a gift, a chance to tend the light for someone in need, or even to rekindle the light within us.

Light Keepers are not only found in lighthouses. They are teachers guiding young minds, friends offering words of encouragement, neighbours extending kindness, leaders who steady others in uncertainty. Every interaction is a chance to honour the gift of a day and to shine light where it is most needed.

The storms we face today may not be at sea, but they are real storms of isolation, doubt, or change. In such times, the call to be a Light Keeper is as urgent as ever. Each day offers an opportunity to be that steady flame for someone else - to offer a kind word, a patient ear, or a small act of help. It is in these moments that ordinary days become extraordinary.

From where I stand an ocean away, I am often mindful of Cornwall. Its coastline is ringed with proud towers — Godrevy, Trevose Head, Lizard, and more — once watched over by keepers who gave their lives to the duty of keeping the light burning. Their work was not only about ships and seas, but about people, safety, and hope. Every day they honoured the gift of time and the importance of presence.

That spirit continues today in the work of many charities and social enterprises across Cornwall. I am especially drawn to the Cornwall Community Foundation. In its quiet, steady way, the Foundation is a Light Keeper for Cornwall — lifting up those in need, supporting communities through challenge, ensuring no one is left adrift. The tradition of tending the light lives on, now shining through generosity, care, and community.

Perhaps that is the lesson the old lighthouses still whisper to us: that we each hold a light within us that, once tended, can guide and reassure those around us. The keepers of old watched over their flame with vigilance and care. So too can we. Every day is an opportunity to tend our light and share it with the world.

Because in every generation, and in every community — whether on the coast of Cornwall or the shores of Maine — the world still needs its Light Keepers.