The Deep End of the Winter

Darkness enfolds us when I walk with the dogs these December evenings. Last night I was awestruck by the beauty of Mt. Hood in the moonlight. As we make our rounds, smells of dinners cooking drift out and lights are coming on in all the houses we pass. Through most of the windows TV screens flash as people settle in after work to relax and stay warm and cozy inside. The cold is biting and we bend into the wind on the eastward stretch of our journey. We all are anxious to get home and inside ourselves.

This is the darkest time of the year and it is a time of sadness for me. The next few weeks as the earth turns away from the sun are the deep winter of the soul. Another year gone by and so many things left undone and dreams unrealized. And memories of childhood happy times and family long gone.

But the promise of Solstice keeps me going. And the birth last year of my beautiful granddaughter has made this a joyful time again. We are joining together today to celebrate her first birthday.