For the past week or so, I have been writing the same sunset on the chalkboard every morning, 8:30 p.m.
That is today’s sunset again here in Chicagoland. Around the middle of June, into the beginning of July, the sun hangs on longer than any other time of the year. It almost feels like summer slows everything down for a second, but it doesn't hold.
Six months from now, I'll be chalking 4:20 p.m. for ten or twelve sunsets in December. The sun slips away before most of us even get home.
How do you like that contrast?
The longest evenings, the shortest afternoons, both predictable, both temporary…
... And that's the point, right?
The calendar is always moving, and the 4th of July is upon us. One of my favorite holidays, and a proper summertime marker with that flag snapping in the heat.
Thanksgiving, well, that is my favorite holiday. Bigger than Christmas, bigger than Mardi Gras. I used it as a marker in the grabber section this morning to show you Chalkheads how quickly the turkey will roast.
But those sunrise and sunset times, those numbers I chalk without thinking, are telling a quieter truth. Whether the day stretches late or cuts off early, don't wish them away. Don't curse the heat. Because someday you will miss it. Don't resent the cold because it has its place too.
The hard part, the honest part is this…
…we don't get one more day, we get one less, and that is not meant to be gloomy. It is meant to sharpen our gratitude and help us appreciate what we have today.
So, enjoy the late light now, welcome the early dark later, give thanks in both seasons. The clock keeps moving, but that's not a threat, it's a gift.
