Winter Solstice ~ Loving the Cold Shoulder
A few months ago I went back to Colorado to visit my family for the Christmas holidays. Winter in Colorado is magical. The landscape changes her garb daily. Some mornings clad the hills with sparkling frost. Other mornings, a fluffy white cloak. Still some days there are streaks of burgundy, gold and white where the snows have melted away to reveal sleeping fields. The early Christians celebrated the birth of Jesus in a time that coincided with the winter solstice—the darkest time of the year. Perhaps they had John 1v5 in their minds, “The Light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.” It is in the darkest moment of many stories that the turnaround, the moment of hope, presents itself. Our seasons are no different. As I went for walks around the pine forests near my family home, I reflected on how long the winter is. Even though the winter solstice is on December 21, the coldest month (February) comes after. Even as the days are getting lighter and lighter, t