It’s the quiet time of year. As a solstice baby (December 21 Birthday greetings accepted by email or other means!), this season holds a special place for me. It’s also the end of term, and that’s always a time for reflection for both me and the students I guide. As a culminating activity, I always invite students to share a highlight or special learning moment for themselves in our final term circles, and they all must take time to reflect on their progress, challenges and the next steps they hope to take at this point in their year. It’s the time when, collectively, as a faculty, we decide on whom scholarships will be disbursed to, so this is also a moment of consideration–who is worthy? Who has shown commitment, involvement, passion, dedication?
And then, there’s me. I take time around my birthday to reflect on the year that’s passed, and what I hope to manifest in the year to come. This has been a year of much movement, it seems. So it may well be that the next couple of weeks I will be focusing on taking the time to go inward and feel where I’m at. In other words, I may be wintering, so I may not be checking in on these pages. But then again, I might! I’m just going to give myself the space to allow that, and am giving fair warning to my faithful readers in advance.
Thereby, I also invite you to take time for your own wintery meditations. Enjoy the quiet coziness of the season: the brisk walks, the sunshine glimmering on new-fallen snow, the embers in the fireplace, the smell of beeswax candles, the taste of holiday baking, the warmth of a favourite beverage in your hands and on your tongue (my personal favourites: hot whisky with lemon and honey, mulled wine, or hot chocolate with rum!). Take pleasure in taking stock. Enjoy quiet (and raucous!) times with friends and loved ones. Be kind to yourselves and one another.