Winter Solstice Musings....

Good Morning, Winter and your beautiful snowy accompanist.  I want to apologize and request your forgiveness for being such a hater in my youth.  I grew up in Maine, and it was extra cold there.  I had to walk to school often before my hair was dried, and by the time I got to school, my wet hair would be frozen. It would start getting dark soon after I got home.  I could see my breath in my room growing up.  I hated you sooo much.  I really didn’t think there was anything to like about you, except for an occasional snow-day off from school.  I was never big on winter sports or activities because my cold-Vata-self just couldn’t take it.  You chilled me to the bone, and I could not wait for you to depart so my beautiful Sunny could show up as your replacement.  

I have learned to love you, your chill and your darkness as I have learned to love my own.  I see you now.  I see your beauty. I see your magic.  I see you twinkle.  

I used to hate my own darkness too, so how could I possibly love yours.  I projected my Ice Queen self onto you.  You were the one that was cold and frigid.  You were the one that got dark and distant. 

As I learned to embrace those cold and dark places within myself and began to see that they too, had beauty, I became more loving— not only to myself but of others and their shadowy-Selves.  

If we can only love the Light and the shine-y parts of ourselves, we will only allow the shine-y in others.  We will reject the cold, dark places in others, as we have ourselves.  We will cut off friendships, romantic partnerships, and business opportunities at the first sign of any chill and miss out on true intimacy, depth, and growth.  Authenticity only exists in both.  To truly love ourSelves and then others, we must embrace ourSelves in our totality, Light and Dark, Cold and Warm.  Real relationships and real people have range.  We are neither all Shine-y, nor all Darkness.  

Let us remember this, at this the longest night and shortest day of the year.  As we celebrate the return of the Light, let us allow that Light to warm some of our own dark places of unkindness, smallness, bitterness, hostility, insecurities, etc.  Let us remember that we are all just walking each other home.  May we have space in our imperfections, for others in theirs.  May we drop the masks of perfection and embrace authenticity.  May we afford the compassion and acceptance to others as we would wish upon ourSelves.  

May we truly see with new eyes, the beauty, and the magic, not only in the blustery season called winter but in the cold and dark places within ourselves and fellow travelers. May we shine our Light for those in the shadows, that they may find their way a little easier and be grateful for those who have done so for us. We are One.  We are duality.  We are Light and we are Dark.  We are all just lil humans awakening to our own Truth. Om Shanti.