If you are living in the Northern Hemisphere, December 21^st marks our winter solstice this year. This is the time when the sun reaches its southernmost point and we experience the shortest amount of daylight.  It is the official mark to the beginning of Winter. Of course, if you live in the Southern Hemisphere, it's just the opposite . . . this marks the beginning of your summer!

In ancient cultures, this was the last festival of the year. It represented a celebration of life because many would die from starvation in the ensuing 3 months of winter. It was also a celebration of Light, marking the start of a new solar year when the daylight hours would begin growing again with the next sunrise.

Back to current times and back in the Northern Hemisphere . . .

During these winter days, it's always dark when we leave in the morning, and dark when we return home from work in the evening. It is common for us to bemoan the darkness, for it represents a stillness, a quieting, that is incongruent with our daily hustle-bustle.

This is the time when many animals go into hibernation. They sleep and conserve their energy until Spring arrives when they can once again forage for food. Perhaps we can take a cue from their natural instincts and pull back from all the rush. Let's use this extra time of darkness and stillness to reflect and celebrate our year of abundance.

Whether you celebrate this season as Christmas, Chanukah, Kwanzaa, Dongzhi, Yule, or as some other tradition, the beauty is that we all celebrate this celestial occurrence. And we all celebrate common themes of faith, gratitude, charity and peace across the lands.

As we move into the last few days of this calendar year, may you find some quiet moments to celebrate your personal faith and to reflect on the many gifts that have come your way this year.

Warmest wishes to you and yours,

Darlene