As we find ourselves at another winter solstice, my thoughts have increasingly turned inward and I revisited my post on Winter Musings. In recent years, I’ve found myself being drawn more to the rhythm of the natural world, and it feels so much easier than when I get caught up in the commercialized “seasons” of capitalism. It makes complete sense when you think about it – after all, we are part of nature; intrinsically so. We all know this at our core, but sometimes our conscious mind forgets it.
So, as we make our way through the long darkness of winter, I embrace what this season calls out remind me of.
To rest…
…slow down…
…to let go of the withered parts that no longer serve me, just as flowers shed their petals and trees their leaves.
If I find myself lost in the dark, off balance and overwhelmed, I must remember that the long darkness will end. When it seems that suddenly everything is out of alignment, I must remember that it didn’t happen suddenly. It was an accumulation of a thousand little things over time, rather than a singular momentous event, that eventually pushed things off the path. And that the return to the path will take an accumulation of small, steady steps in the right direction.
The longest night of winter doesn’t come suddenly, but grows slowly over time. And the light will grow in strength again, in the same way.
It is a beautiful dance, ever spinning and swaying to and fro. And while it means that the longest days cannot last forever, it also means the deepest dark will not remain either.
