Today when I opened my eyes from my morning meditation, the first golden light had appeared on the trees. As I watched it turn to a brighter light of day, I was reminded that midwinter has passed, and the days are now gradually growing longer, the nights shorter. This is a season of death and rebirth. The darkest nights are behind us, and as we move toward the New Year, it is a time of increasing light.
This time of year is also a time of change. The birds seem to take note of the seasonal change; there has been a flurry of activity at my feeders this week and more birdsong in the early morning hours. During this month of transition and transformation, I have been honoring that which has passed and no longer serves my highest good.
As I walked on the beach today, I found several beautiful pieces of broken whelk shells. They reminded me of the potential of what could have been during this year. They reminded me of opportunities lost, broken hearts, endings, and deaths. And they reminded me of the potential for finding beauty in healing and transformation, in this endless cycle of death and rebirth.
In this time of death and rebirth, I am discovering my new life in a new city. My move here has brought much change, too, and I greet this time with openness and excitement about what is to come. I am creating home here, meeting new friends, and finding new communities of kindred spirits. My wish for us all for the season is that we remain grateful for the beauty that life brings and meet each moment with an open heart.
How can you honor the potential of what could have been this year? In doing so, how can you also hold precious the birth of the new and the days of increasing light? Try creating something to honor the beauty of the transitions you’ve experienced this year–write a journal entry, make a collage, make a photograph, paint something, bake something, or make a little something out of clay.
Jen Johnson is a mindfulness teacher, coach, and therapist and a photographer and writer. She offers an integrative approach to mind body healing and creative awakening.