Dark Nights, Short Days

December is here. The last month of the year. Time to take stock, settle in and put this year to bed. This time of year is always a push, pull for me. There are so many things to complete and tend to when all I really want to do is stay in my fat pants, drink something warm out of a mug and read.

Don't get me wrong. This is my favorite time of the year. But perhaps you, like me, are already feeling a little overwhelmed by the season upon us. (Good God, it's only the first of the month!) What helps you get through these dark nights and short days? What helps you navigate and enjoy the end of the school semester, the Christmas play, the gifts to be made and wrapped, the meals to make, the meals to deliver, the burst pipes, the cards to send, the reflective moments, the tough year gone by, the new year ahead, the power gone down, the airline fees and the winter storms?

For me, it's all about stepping back for a moment. Silence helps. Breathing helps. Smiling helps. And remembering the coming goodness helps. Hope is the reason for the season. A new chance, a new era, a new outlook. Yesterday was the first Sunday of Advent. The world stills itself at this time of year, expectantly waiting. We wait because we know something good is coming.