Lighting The Way To Happier New Year
Today is December 21, 2012. In addition to being the prophesied Mayan apocalypse, it is also the Winter Solstice. One is based on the carvings of a circular stone, the other on the rotation of a spherical planet. One is finite, the other continuous. One is believed by some to herald the end of times, and the other marks the transition of one season into another.
Lately, things have seemed a bit too dark as we face so many things that cause us pain. And yet the 21st will end and the 22nd will dawn, reminding us that the darkness will give way to light, once again. The earth will continue to rotate.
For most of us, the darkness brings out our need to find ways of bringing light back into our world while we wait for the summer’s heat to return. Some light candles, others string lights. Some turn on light-boxes and others leave a light on in a darkened room. Regardless of who we are, the darkness will wane and daylight will dawn.
2012 will end and 2013 will arrive. And I hope that we are all able to find our way to a happier year, a brighter tomorrow, to catch a ray of sunshine dispelling the darkness.
As is my family’s tradition, we no longer mail Christmas cards. Instead, we film a Christmas Music Video. For five years we have captured our children in song and dance, reminding ourselves and others that the brightness is within our hearts and the songs we sing. May each and every one of you find a way to jingle and giggle and catch the light as we face the New Year.
(Other years’ productions are on the left toolbar. Please enjoy, especially the episode that includes “Rodot Coming!”)
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Missives posted on Mondays and Fridays. Unless the coffee and chocolate run out...
Copyright © Kristina Martin and Ten Minute Missive, 2011. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this blog’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Kristina Martin and Ten Minute Missive with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.
Thanks, Kristina, Good thoughts.
Actually, this wasn’t considered the day of apocalypse by the Mayans. It was, like midnight between December 31 and January 1 yearly for us, seen as the beginning of a new cycle. The Mayan accounting of time involved several different measures of time, from short cycles (one day) to really, really long ones (23,040,000,000). Today marks the end of one and the beginning of a new b’ak’tun, or period of roughly 400 years. It’s considered exciting to make it to the end of a cycle, and indeed, that’s the feeling I have today as I wonder what light we will find and make in the next cycle–whether by Mayan accounting, or Gregorian. I am hopeful. Happy holidays, beautiful lady!
That’s awesome – what good sports your kids are!