Winter darkness

Today I read somewhere that in 39 days the sun would set at 7pm and the author noted that someone out there might need to hear that!

I don’t usually think of the winter as a time of darkness but the start of the new term has felt really dark! The hibernation feel of the Christmas holidays has probably not helped, and thinking about it the run up to Christmas break the days slowly get darker and then there is two weeks of home not knowing or caring what time of day it is. So when the new year routines start again the darkness feels quite heavy.

I feel for my son who goes to school on the bus in the dark and then at the end of the day returns in the dark. I know that in a week or so when I’m back fully into routines the dark won’t feel so much and that everyday there’s more light than the day before.

I’m not afraid of the dark and in many ways feel it’s totally magical. I love to snuggle next to the fire on a dark night or be cosy in bed - maybe I was a hedgehog in past life. The winter dark feels like a cloak round my shoulders slowly trying to lift.

I’m excited for the spring as every year it amazes me how life bursts out of every corner of the natural world. I know it’s just around the corner but rather than dashing forward to the light I’m going to try and savour the darkness.