This might be an unpopular opinion

I'm enjoying the darkness of this season.

I know, I know, it's not a popular opinion (at least based on the number of memes I see bemoaning the darkness at 6 PM that feels like midnight - ha!)

I'm usually in that camp too, but not this year.  It's fair to say it has "been a year" for me, full of unexpected highs and lows in rapid succession, over and over and over... so this year, the darkness feels comforting, like a big weighted blanket saying,

PAUSE  |  REST  | STILL |  BREATHE

In this newfound, uncomfortable stillness I'm finding a respite from the jam-packed days in my calendar.  I'm wiped out by the time I make it to the end of my obligations for the day -- and I cannot be on screen for as many hours a day as I used to -- so, I've found myself focused on making healthy, hearty recipes, brewing a cup of my favorite cinnamon tea, and listening to this easy holiday soundtrack.

This year, I appreciate the darkness in a way I haven't before.

I'm embracing it instead of fighting it.

These lessons are important for me this year...more embracing, less fighting. I'm writing this while I'm in the midst of this awareness, so I don't have a neat and tidy outcome for you. I will say that I'm increasingly reminded of why the many traditions that celebrate this season are centered around lights and candles...they truly do shine brighter in the darkness.

May we find the courage to embrace both the darkness and the light in the season