The view from my dining room window just after sunrise this morning
We are two days past the darkest day of the year and now, each day for six months the amount of daylight will gradually increase. Though the coldest days of winter are probably still ahead, we have turned a corner on the darkness and I am ready to celebrate.
The Light Returns
Life is filled with cycles of light and dark, joy and grief — seasons of dark nights and brilliantly bright days. This holiday season seems once again filled with fear and foreboding as the Omicron variant of the COVID virus roars through our world.
But there is also good news. For many people vaccines are helpful in preventing serious disease. The virus itself may be becoming less severe. And we know much more now than we did two years ago when the pandemic began. The choices we make in the coming weeks may make the difference between a health care system collapse and a slow steady pace of recovery.
I hope that all will make behavior choices based upon their understanding of the common good and their own unique circumstances. Please think about how your behavior might impact those who are vulnerable or who have other health issues that require treatment.
I especially want to thank all of those in public-facing jobs who continue to do their jobs cheerfully despite the continuing pandemic. Where would we be without all of you?
“So here we are, in the dark time of year, with more darkness around us than we could have imagined and with so little time left to prepare for a tsunami of darkness called ‘collapse.’ Where the hell is the light? Well, actually, it’s right here, right now. The light is in the fact that you woke up this morning and are able to eat food, drink water, and experience another day. It may be in the work you do or the kind thing your neighbor said to you today or the owl that hoots outside your window. The light is waiting to be felt by you in visions of a new paradigm and a new kind of culture that we all have the capacity to create. “— Carolyn Baker, Collapsing Consciously: Transforming Truths for Turbulent Times
I wish you much light, joy and grace during this holiday season. Let us hope that the darkest days are over and that the returning light will show us a more positive way forward. Meanwhile I give thanks for waking up this morning, for the squirrels eating the stale pecans I just threw on the ground under the bird feeders, and for the beauty of the sunrise this morning.
May you walk in beauty.
Merry Christmas! Happy Holidays! I’ll be taking several days off from writing posts.
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