Making the most of November

My life has changed so much over the past half year. Taking care of a little person brings very different concerns. For instance, I'm almost constantly aware of what kind of experience he's having when he's with me in my house, what atmosphere I'm creating, what he's learning from the way I talk and behave.

So I was thinking about this time of the year, when the days are short and frequently gloomy, and the nights are long. Darkness has a quality of possibility. Nothing is cut and dried or sharply clear. I tend not to put on lights until I really need to see what I'm doing, say in the kitchen for example. This is part of the experience of winter. If I light a candle, the yellow glow is soft and tender, looked at with wonder and delight by the little person. And for me, staying with the darkness, experiencing it as fully as I can, means I start to anticipate, and hopefully will truly participate, in the soon-to-be time when the solstice comes and the light begins to increase.