The sun will reach its nadir today at 3:47 PM EST, in the northern hemisphere, as we procrastinators will be out doing our last minute shopping.  We begin our 6-month journey back to the fullness of sunlight and the warmth of the summertime, in just a few hours.

It’s no wonder that we are built for resilience as nature showers her experiences of recovering from the depths of winter’s darkness towards the fullness of summer’s long days like the clock that she is in our lives. Even as we attempt to bring more light into our lives with festive Christmas decorations and the single lights of the Hannukah candles, we know that nature’s own light brings our greatest revival

At our place on the Allegheny River, we always joke about the sun’s reflection when it is low in the sky.  Her reflection on the River both brightens and warms our house, leading us to call our home “Two-Suns”. It’s a treat we have only in the winter, as the sun is too high to reflect in the summer. We love the light and warmth that fills our house on these short winter days and provides a bit of hope against the bleak landscape of brown and gray of the hills across the way.

We’ll be enjoying the simple pleasures of family, food, football and friends this holiday season. I wish you the best for the season and lots of love around your table

© Richard Citrin, 2022