Have a Feisty Solstice

There is something defiant in the winter holiday season which appeals to me. Hanukkah begins tonight. Christmas is only a couple of days away. And yet this is the darkest, shortest day of the year. If ever our bodies and minds felt a call to dig in and hibernate, now is the day. If ever nature conspired to create a humanity-wide sense of depression and the need to curl up in the fetal position, this is the time.

And yet, instead, we gather our roots out of our cellars and our fruits preserved in jars of jelly and come together. We celebrate when the stars say we should mourn. We lift our half-full glasses in toasts and our voices in for the blessings we have, laughing and singing.

I believe in going with the flow--most of the time. I believe in living in the moment--most of the time. But there are moments to put our feet down in the stream bed. There are times to remember the past and plan the future--and the darkest day is one of them.

Use your brain and your imagination this day to look ahead to the growing light. What little things can you do to make the coming natural year better for yourself and those you love? And whom can you gather around yourself to celebrate your little victories?

The sunlight is coming. Open your arms and soak it in.