Today is the shortest “day” of the year, the moment when Sun shows themself above the Earth’s horizon for the least amount of time. Earth tilts herself away from the Sun the farthest, as if the two are holding hands in a heavenly dance. Sun swings Earth around and Earth leans back, laughing in joy and trust. Yeah, like in the spinning dance scene in Titanic. The visual for the summer solstice is even wilder… Earth holding on but letting her feet dangle over the cosmos. Never let go, Sun. Please, never let go!
But the cosmic scene I imagine is much quieter and much slower. As Earth leans back, so can we. A short day of action followed by a longer night of rest. The nights will get shorter and days longer, as we dream of the next cycle—the seasons of germination, ripening, and harvest.
We need this time to dream. To restore. To reflect. To reassess. We need the long nights to rest and regroup. To plan and to process. To contemplate and connect.
Trees go dormant. Snow blankets and protects. Birds migrate. Bears and other animals hibernate.
And we humans?
Do we rest, too? Do we slow down? Do we listen? Do we lean back and let go? Do we close our eyes and dream? Do we honor the Season of Rest, so that our Seasons of Planting, Tending, and Reaping can be fruitful and abundant?
Can it be the end of one cycle but not yet the beginning of the next? Can there be a time in-between? Can a year come to an end but a new one not yet begin?
Can we press Pause, instead of Skip?
Leave a Reply