Light, Merry, & Bright

It seems I was not only observant, but also progonsticating... Geoff really is coping, and thriving, by hanging lights. Lots and lots and lots of lights! First came those icicle lights around the deck, future site of my Hot Chocolate and Scones shop. Next he replaced burnt out bulbs in the garden with colored lights, red, green, yellow, blue. Then his ship(ment) came in and he really leveled up!

I think he said this is his favorite. Then again, I know he added a new one that I haven't photographed yet. There's not much that doesn't fascinate Geoff, that he doesn't want to try, explore, make, discuss, understand. But lights... lights are way up the list. Maybe that's why he's like a kid in a candy shop when a new flashlight hits the market, maybe that's why we have a single, long and oversized bulb over the dining table, among the standard, recessed canister bulbs, why in 1996 our house was the only one in the neighborhod lit up by black lights on Halloween! He is my light, showing me the way, brightening my day, keeping me hopeful, inspired, smiling.

The chickens stirred, bok-bokked. Google translate says, "Hey, turn down the sun! We're trying to sleep!

The sun goes down, and our lights turn up, in the front yard, in the back yard, up and down the stairs, and all over town. We want to spread light. We are making our fun, however we can, virtually, or secretly, right out loud. It's not so hard to understand how celebrations, and traditions of light sprung up, and endured, when light fades, and cold seeps in, and this year has put us closer in touch with the longing for hope and company. So we are happy, thankful, to recognize and appreciate all things merry, bright, and light.

Thankful. Thankful for unexpected gifts of care, and kindness, thankful for the postal workers, and delivery-persons, for local shops and artists, thoughtful neighbors, dedicated teachers, and medical personnel. I am thankful for phone apps, and stickers, for texting, and online engagement. And I am mindful that this year, this season, is terribly hard; for some it is much too hard. I am sorry. Every loss and trial is cruelly met, because we cannot do many of the small and great things that bring, and receive, comfort. Hold on! Please, hold on. Light travels, and the earth will tilt, and the sun will rise higher, and higher. I want to see you, again, when we can sit together, and feel the warmth of all the light that went out, traveling, to find you.

There. Straight up from the chimney. Do you see tiny Saturn, and brighter Jupiter? They appear to be converging, and their light is reflected, and traveling to us from 365 million miles, or more. On December 21, the longest night of the year, the Great Conjunction will bring Saturn and Jupiter visibly closer than they have been observed since the year 1226!