Love has been a quiet current underpinning my days and nights. It has helped to carry me through the hard days, it's been a source of comfort and strength.
I had no need to go searching for it, it came to me.
My people have been there, all year. Julia came to town twice to help me get through the aftermath of my surgeries. When I didn't ask for help as I neared the end of radiation, my neighbors brought food anyways. When I organized the meal train because I couldn't lift more than 10lbs after this latest surgery, all the slots were filled within a couple of days. And no one forgot about me; I didn't go hungry even once! All the food was delicious, prepared (or ordered in) with love.
People have sent I'm-thinking-of-you-hang-in-there texts, notes and small gifts. Their care has made this unwanted path easier to walk. I know I am loved.
I am SO grateful.
The 4th Sunday of Advent was also this year's solstice - the longest night.
A couple of years ago, I checked the schedule showing the time for sunrise and sunset this time of year. I was a bit surprised to find that, while, yes, the days do grow longer from here on out, the increases in daylight are incremental for the next couple of weeks - today we have just 2 more seconds of daylight than we did yesterday.
I took that as a sign, and since then I've taken time to pause a bit myself, mostly between Christmas and New Year's. I've come to like the quiet darkness. I light candles and more candles, rekindling the lights of Advent. I take time to reflect on the happenings of the year that was, on my hopes for the year to come.
I give thanks that I am here to see yet another year begin. (So far, so good...)
Happy Winter's Solstice!
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