Winter Solstice is the longest night of the year. 

Many of us are collectively holding our breath, waiting for the inevitable light that follows the darkness. 

Between the gloaming and the dawn is where we dream of the possible. The incredible. The out-of-reach thing that we imagine will be within our grasp once we open our eyes. 

This time, we will follow through. We will read the book, attend the seminar, listen to the podcast, organize the space, list the shit out of the situation, and finally reach the place that manifests our best selves.

I call bullshit. When did living simply become so fraught with self-improvement that we made ourselves sicker than we started? 

No, we are not out of the woods of a global pandemic. We are not our best selves. We did not achieve that magnificent thing we were supposed to achieve that would signal our moving onto a higher plane of existence. 

But we did something far more meaningful. We lived. We struggled. We sacrificed. We made mistakes. We learned some lessons. At least I sincerely hope we did. But the point is, we lived. 

This is not about living simply. This is about simply living. Our collective wing nuts got a little too tight over the past year. Remember the conversation we had when we vowed we would not let the crazy creep in once we weren’t locked down? How is that going? We didn’t need to let the crazy creep in because it was already inside of us. Let’s loosen that wing nut again.

Over a bottle of wine last night, I laughed so hard with a soul-deep friend, my sides hurt. A couple weeks ago, I held the hand of someone I love dearly while he slept and I whispered all my hopes into his heart. He and I had made such plans that are all dashed now. I don’t regret any of the work, or the hope, even though the outcome has me bereft. I bought seeds during a rainstorm last week and imagined the colors and smells of my garden. Small things to ground me. Connect me. But nothing having to do with achievement. 

We will never be where we thought we would be or how we thought we might show up once we got there. We will only be. Simply live, my friends. The light is coming. You need not prepare. You’re already ready. Let it be the thing that brings clarity, but cut yourself some slack if you hit the snooze a few times before getting up. 

Merry meet. Merry part. Merry meet again.