I am going to church tonight. It’s not something I often do. I haven’t been in a while; I’m not what you would call one of the faithful. I am not even what you would call religious… but I am spiritual. I believe in humanity, and tonight I want to hear voices. I want to listen to the choir. I want to listen to the congregation. I want to listen to the memories that come with the music, on this night of all nights. I want to feel at peace. I want to feel the peace. I want to believe that peace is possible. I want to wish you peace on earth, in your world and mine.
Without direction from the soon-setting Sun, drawn not by the pull of the Moon, it flows past murky shadows shifting into place, and passes by the sweep of trees. The river remains constant. Showing itself, ripples and bubbles, only when convenient. Beneath the frozen surface, a flurry of activity within each body of water it passes through. Neither transient or untenable it knows not whether it will end up in the sea, or be channelled through tributaries to a gentle stream, sparkling lake, or come to rest in a stagnant swamp, eventually seeping into the aquifer, or evaporating and ending up as a puddle in a far-away city. The cycle begins again. Wanderlust. The river does not know the power it contains, yet continues to move. There is no silence. The stillness is never complete as we, minute by day, year over year, seek purpose. And balance. Under this Solstice, the Sun shedding it’s grace for such little time, traversing through to darker hours, as we are. Or as we can, in this semi-frozen state, craving comfort which comes from removing ourselves from the elements. Man-made darkness, the shelter in which we hide, or rest, or plot how we will better face the day, and the year ahead. Each of us is searching, or knowing, or finding our ocean. Neither temporary or transient. A natural rhythm, the planets revolving as they should, each cycle, each pattern, each evolution.
We will soon leave this day, the shortest of the year, and surrender to the darkness. Knowing that each day forward we will experience more light, this is the optimum time to sit and find the stillness that comes with the night.
Embrace the darkness and set your bearings, check your needs, your wants, and desires; we all have them, yet too often the pace of everyday life denies us opportunities. Or we deny ourselves. Today, as we honour the winter solstice, find a moment to find your purpose, even in the midst of whatever conflict or confusion you may find yourself in.
Don’t be afraid of shutting your door to allow silence. You know when you need isolation to quell your thoughts and feelings. Just remember to open the door once in a while to take note of what’s going, or to let somebody in. Keeping a door shut is to disallow a view of the true you.
Communicate mindfully, speak or write your words with purpose and intention. Say what you have to say, and believe it to be the truth. Know who you are, or try to understand why you are the way you are. It is by fostering a deeper understanding of your self that you will develop greater compassion for others; and there are many people around you. Be conscious of your place on the planet while accommodating and being respectful of those who share this beautiful space. There are millions of us residing on this earth, and while our time is temporary, our words and actions are permanent.
Listen to others, especially when the words seem genuine or heartfelt. Sometimes communicating is difficult, particularly when emotions are involved. It takes a lot to open up and share certain thoughts with others; remember this as you listen, remember this as you speak.
We are all dealing with issues and events, decisions and disruptions on this ever-changing place. The times change; the world changes, and you may change, just as those you have come to know are certain to evolve. Remain aware of those who rely on you to keep the balance in this fragile world. Strive for consistency and, above all, be yourself.
Remember the value of kindness, and forgiveness, and acceptance. All of us maintain core beliefs, and they differ from person to person, but our true measure as humans is how we accept the opinions and ideals held by our fellow beings.
Take time to celebrate the achievements, big or small, of others. Everybody is out there trying, or managing, and sometimes even the slightest acknowledgement of another person’s progress can make a difference. Don’t forget to acknowledge your own advancements as well. Your strides forward may not be recognized by anybody else, but that should not stop you from celebrating each step.
These are times when the vividness of our world is overwhelming. The colors are bright, the volume and velocity of information is thick and fast, the truth is pure and distracting, and the depth of our emotions is humbling as we endure the transience from darkness to light. On this, the longest night of the year, dawn will take its time arriving, allowing us a additional time to contemplate who we are, what we want, and what we can do to make this a better place.
It gets harder each year to sort through the mixed messages we are bombarded with in this highly-commercialized season of greed. It’s not just the non-secular selling of goods and gifts destined to end up in the landfill, but the promise of perfection woven into each message; as if we are not complete without this or that. It is the message, the method, and the madness of advertising. Of course, it’s nothing new (it never has been), and soon you learn (as you always do) that the bigger the promise, the harder the fall. No matter your age, there is always something they are selling you. No matter your stage in life, there is always something they are telling you. Get past the bullshit. You have enough. We all have enough stuff. What we need is the resilience to say we have had enough, and the confidence to enjoy what we have.
