The Longest Night of the Year
Happy winter solstice, dear parents. Today, the earth’s axial tilt is the farthest from the sun that it will be all year for those of us in the Northern Hemisphere. In other words, it’s the shortest day of the year. Or what may be more pertinent to parents -- the longest night. When you wake up tomorrow morning, we’ll begin the slow creep toward June 21st, the Summer Solstice, and the longest day of the year.
In our culture, we remain fairly oblivious to this natural, gradual rhythm of the seasons and the sky. We get so caught up in the hustle and bustle of the holidays. As the natural world around us begins to slow down, to hibernate, we do just the opposite. We’re collectively running ourselves into the ground with shopping and travel plans. Forcing our bodies into an unnatural state of frenzy. Operating counter to our natural state of being can leave us feeling stressed, anxious, and overwhelmed.
The Winter Solstice has been honored and celebrated for thousands of years throughout the world. Ancient civilizations built structures devoted to these special moments in time. https://www.almanac.com/content/ancient-sites-aligned-solstice-and-equinox
Don’t get me wrong, I love Christmas cookies, lights, and family gatherings as much as the next person. But tonight, for one night at least, I’m making the commitment to slow down. To sit by the tree and enjoy the lights, rather than checking off another present purchased or wrapped. I hope you can do the same! Your littles will love feeling your slowed down energy and full presence.
Talk about taking a break over the holidays - I’ve never done this before but I realize how much my family needs me to give them my full presence.
Closed Dec 24-Jan 2
This is so very hard to do, as a small business owner. But it’s time I practice what I preach and take the time to truly recharge. The break will also help us to hit the ground running for the launch of T H R E E new courses in the new year. Enough about that for now. You’ll hear plenty more come January.
I suppose the take home message here is, let’s urge folks to find a way to slow down. Let’s listen to what our bodies really need. And honor the natural rhythm of the world around us.
And for folks who despise winter, I FEEL you (Seasonal Affective Disorder is legit), tomorrow marks the progression toward the Summer Solstice. In the meantime, find someone to snuggle and some hot cocoa.