A long day’s night
My love-hate relationship with the shortest day of the year.
Today is the winter solstice, a day that fills me with a conflicting mix of both dread and optimism.
I dread the lead-up to the winter solstice because it marks shorter days and colder weather. As summer fades and we begin our steady march toward December 21st, my favorite outdoor activities get packed away along with my summer wardrobe.
The final week before the winter solstice is when I feel the pangs of melancholy most: the days are near their darkest, becoming even darker, and signs of life dwindle. I yearn for long stretches spent drawing under a shade tree, birdsong in the branches above, the fragrant smell of spring and summer filling the air...
...and so that’s why I also love the winter solstice. The winter solstice marks the day we reach the end of that dark road, turn ourselves around, and steadily march back toward the light, back toward the warmth, back toward life.
I will be taking a week off from this blog next week to plan 2023. I have a treasured ritual where I look back – and ahead – to reflect and assess where I’d like to be at the end of the next year. I hope that wherever you are and whatever your plans, they will be filled with warmth and optimism.
Here’s wishing you a very happy new year. If you’re a subscriber to Life Noticed, thank you so much for your support. I care about this little publication deeply and your readership matters to me and keeps me writing week after week. If you’re not a subscriber and would like to sign up for my weekly emails (no spam ever), please consider doing so here (and thanks!).
All my best,
Brooke Morales
