Day 60 of 365 - Settling Into the Season of Darkness

We have not had much sunshine around here in the last month.  Then yesterday, the sun actually came out for a few hours and it was almost stunning.  Today is cloudy, cold and gloomy again.

I've been doing a bit of reading about embracing the longer, darker days between now and Winter Solstice when the slow return to light begins.

We may prefer to throw ourselves into the distractions of the holiday season, to make things flashy and stimulating to all our senses to just 'get through' the dark time.  I personally am tempted to do that, thinking about my decorating, shopping, baking and gift wrapping. And, don't forget about musical events and gatherings with friends.  All those things do legitimately brighten the season.  But, at the end of the day, the darkness is still there.

Something I read this morning challenged me to slow down, go within, take the time during this season to reflect on the culminations of this ending of the calendar year, and ponder what to pursue in the coming one.  To start that process I spent some time this afternoon reviewing my journal for this year.

Holy Crap!  It's been a hell of a year, and in large part in a stressful and sad way.  Illness and death of family members, loss of precious pets to family and friends, job loss and job stress in my own family to name some.  It's not that there have not been positive times too as there have.  But, just skimming through all the other events has left me feeling the heaviness of it all.

And you know what?  It's important to be able to sit with that, acknowledge it and be with it so I can process it at body, mind and spirit levels.  I'm feeling like that has been missing.  There have been so many consecutive things going on this year that I have focused on 'coping' in practical ways to get from one month to the next.

I don't exactly know what allowing myself time to do more processing of these events is going to look like.  But I intend to give myself more time for reflection this month to settle into this season of darkness and see what flicker of light emerges.

I will still carry on with my routines but intend to be much more mindful of creating space for this process.  More being, less doing, with loving kindness towards myself.


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