Solstice is upon us; a return of the sun, the light, and better days ahead. An annual event so important to humankind, it’s been marked and celebrated globally since before the written word: it’s practically instinctive.
It’s a time to rejoice, reboot, and renew hopes and dreams for the future. A time to remember our blessings, forget the past, and celebrate the birth of a new year. For me, the last few years have been particularly tough, but as with the return of the sun each year, life moves on. A dear mentor once said to me, “We must change or we will be changed.”
To say the world is changing is an understatement, in my view. Whether it’s weather, politics, ecology, economics, or what have you, this Earth is not the planet our parents or grandparents knew. Will we dig in and deny or ignore the signs? Or will we heed the warnings and evolve? Will the coming light enlighten us and bring us together to solve our global problems or will we bicker over resources while the darkness spreads?
I am only one person, but in my world, I am the only person who can decide to make a change. My personal resolutions this year involve doing more for the planet – a smaller carbon footprint, for one. Less trash, less waste, more reuse, more repair. For me, less is the new more. And I’m not the only one who thinks this way. School kids are protesting the state of our planet. There is a whole new generation of activists making their voices and actions known. These children are our future leaders.
My observance this solstice is not only to celebrate the annual return of the light, but to also set my hopes on the return of a more enlightened age of humankind. We have done it before (the Renaissance; the industrial revolution), surely we can do it again, lest the approaching darkness continue unabated.
Wishing a thoughtful and peaceful solstice to you all.
