I stood beside a hill
Smooth with new-laid snow,
A single star looked out
From the cold evening glow.
There was no other creature
That saw what I could see--
I stood and watched the evening star
As long as it watched me.
- Sara Teasdale
In the midst of a blustery winter's storm blowing outside, we celebrated the Winter Solstice this weekend. A celebration of light shining in darkness, of the return of the sun, and of the magic and wonder out there all around us. As the first big storm of the year, it made the contrast of light & dark, in & out, warm & cold all that more tangible and real and...well, quietly beautiful.
I thought - until this morning - that Christmas was on Friday (I don't know where I got that idea, but it was firmly lodged in my clearly sleep-deprived brain). But it's not on Friday. It's on Thursday (did you know?), which makes me a little behind. So today, I did a little baking and a little knitting. But the rest of the many things on The List? Well (as I was gently reminded by a wise Soule in this house), I think it's time to make that list magically disappear into the celebratory fire. And it's time to carry the strong & peaceful calm of that winter storm into the excitement and celebration of the days to come.
So in case you, too, needed a reminder, and haven't done it yet...it's getting near time to toss The List. Take a deep breath. and Enjoy.
Wishing you peace and joy as you celebrate with those you love in the coming days!
