I think today is a day for celebration. For the next six months the sunrise and sunset times will widen. Though let us not get too excited just yet. The first sunset after 5:00pm (in Chicagoland) doesn’t happen until the end of January, but we are on our way.
My mom had a tradition on Winter Solstice to write two letters to herself. The first letter was about something from the last year that she wanted to get rid of. In the second letter she would write down a goal or achievement that she would like to fulfill in the year to come. It was her way of doing a New Year’s resolution, but a week and a half before everyone else.
The symbolism of a resolution on the shortest day of the year actually has more meaning. Get rid of the negative energy in the darkness and let each day get brighter with positive energy.
This plan makes more sense rather than giving something up on the first of the year after a night of gluttony.
The word “solstice” comes from the Latin word "solstitium," which means, “Sun stands still.”
Go outside this afternoon and stand on your driveway. Hopefully the sun is out so you can measure the length of your shadow. In six months stand in the same place and try and find your shadow.
What does this experiment show us?
It shows us how small we really are in the big scheme of things. Which means our problems, all of them are small as well.
I gotta shake my tail feather here and get Thursday started. Enjoy this short day and both the joy and crap that it will bring.
Joy and Crap…. I’ve never seen those two words together. Starting today let’s see less of the crap and more of the joy.
Joy and Crap…. Great title for a book.
