Balancing the Light and the Dark

Christmas time is such a balancing act.  Everyone becomes a juggler trying to keep all the balls moving in the right pattern at the right time. Well, sometimes it feels like juggling handkerchiefs and sometimes it feels like chain saws, but let’s go with racket balls or something for now, ok?

Another thing that we are balancing is the light and the dark.  As the Solstice gets nearer the dark is becoming dominant which for some is frightening or dreary or depressing and for others is warm and cozy and inviting.  It calls us to go inward, to get quiet, to slow down and rest, to think about the seasons past and to gather ourselves together again after all the doing.  At the same time the mood is festive with all of our energy gathering together to celebrate the light.  The star over the manger or on top of the Christmas tree, the Menorah, the candles of Diwali, the fires on the hilltop that remind the night sky that we are here and waiting for the sun to rise.

This is the time of year when we are balanced between the two or, sometimes, used like the rope in a Tug of War game between going inward and going out to meet friends.  The challenge is to remain balanced with it all and to be true to yourself.  Follow the path that winds between the dark and the light, stitching them together into the fabric of your life.  Then instead of being opposing forces they will be the blanket that keeps you warm on these long winter nights. 🙂