i'm reminded by friends and family that winter doesn't last forever. just a few months out of the year does snow cover the ground and ice form in our gutters. strangers i meet in the checkout lane at work tell me it's not all that bad, that winter is bearable so long as we have warm boots and a positive outlook. but my positive outlook has been crippled recently, making it difficult to see the light at the end of the tunnel, the thaw awaiting us come march. i find the frostiness in the air has seeped into my heart while dulling my senses. one cold day merges with another until weeks have passed and last winter seems inseparable from this winter and makes me groan in preparation for the next.
winter is often revered as the season of darkness, where death and isolation are present at every turn. the trees loose their leaves and stand naked, covered in ice and snow. the ground freezes solid, hindering any new growth while silenced by a blanket of snow. to the observer, it seems like life has gone from this place forever.
but winter is also considered to be a season filled with anticipation. we feel this most palpably during the christmas season as we await the holiday festivities, whether that be the long awaited birth of a savior, the time spent with dear friends and family, or simply the childlike desire for gifts and new things. i'm told, however, that the anticipation we feel near the end of december is meant to extend all through january and february, leading us to the rebirth of nature and the promise of new beginnings.
i find it interesting that the onset of winter is so noticeable to me. very early in fall i begin to see the shortening of the daylight hours. every day it seems, the sun is setting one or two minutes earlier, causing my heart to harden just a little- bracing itself against the promised cold. and yet even now, in the middle of january with the winter solstice weeks behind me, i fail to take note of the slow and steady lengthening of daylight.
every year is marked by the orbit of the earth around the sun. and within that year, there is always one day whereby the earth's axis is tilted so severely that here in the northern hemisphere we experience the shortest amount of daylight hours. this day is historically referred to as the winter solstice and celebrates the season of darkness. but just as this day in late december is meant to honor the winter, it also is cause for celebration as it marks the turning point in our year. from this day on, the hours of sunlight increase and rebirth can officially begin.
i find this news comforting for more than one reason. it's comforting to know that even in the midst of cold and frost, life is struggling to revive itself. trees are storing up the energy given by the sun in preparation for new growth; bulbs are waiting under the frozen ground, absorbing nutrients and longing to sprout forth. it's comforting for me to know that even in this dark season of my life, energy is being stored up, nutrients are being absorbed, and new growth is promised in my future. this time of emptiness, of waiting, of longing, is slowly and surely drawing to a close as i await the return of light and rejoice in the extra minute or two of sunshine that today has given.
