One of the things the December holidays (Solstice, Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa) have in common is the sense of the power of light in the darkness.
It’s been a hard few years. Week after week of distance, fear, uncertainty, loss. And now Omicron—schools closing again, re-openings scotched, holiday plans reconsidered.
It helps me to remember that we humans have had hard winters before. Winters when it seemed the sun would never shine again. There is a reason we celebrate with candles in this season. They symbolize the triumph of hope in the midst of relentless darkness that there will one day be light again.
Light isn’t only sunlight and flame, of course. It is connection. It is kindness. It is the light that we ourselves put into the world. The miracle of a candle’s light is that when you give it to another, the light isn’t diminished. It’s multiplied.
So how do we stop the darkness? We light a candle. And we share it.
I wish you joy, light, and connection in this season.