Return of the Light

Yesterday, December 21, was the winter solstice and the first day of winter in the Northern Hemisphere.   Many cultures mark the winter solstice as a moment of renewal and the symbolic return of light.  Many folks observe the Winter Solstice as Yule, emphasizing themes of rebirth, renewal, and the return of light.  Rituals involve lighting candles, meditation, and acknowledging the cycles of nature are common.  Today, December 22, is the first day of the return of the light, where the daylight begins to get a little longer and the night a little shorter.  I always look forward to this day… imagining the shift, even though it takes a few weeks for it to be noticeable.   We start gaining a tiny bit of daylight by only a few seconds as of today!!   I know I won’t notice that, but come about mid-January, we gain 2 minutes per day and then it gets even faster in February.   Late January/early February, it’s about an hour of daylight gained.   I for sure will be able to notice that!!!  And most of you will too.

But there are also the bigger thoughts and hopes that the return of the light can cultivate.

I’m thinking, return of:

Peace

Good will

Humor

Civility

Respect

Empathy

Honesty

Safety

Happiness

Health

Natural intelligence

Stability

Options

Ways of the indigenous peoples of the world who know and practice respect for the land, the environment, the animals, the holy people, the community.

Bless us all.  See you in 2026