When I got the first email about the Winter Solstice Project I thought that I did not need one more thing. But then the second email came, and I began to think more about the idea of a weekly project. The idea grew and felt like this is something I need to do in my week. So once a week – until March 20th – I am going to share some thoughts on hope.
Hope is like the sun, which, as we journey toward it, casts the shadow of our burden behind us. — Samuel Smiles
This week the journey toward the sun began again, each day bring a tiny bit more light. For me this year, has felt like that… each day a bit darker than the day before and I have forgotten what hope looks like. I have forgotten that if I look carefully, there are tiny bits of hope every day… bits I miss because I am focused on the darkness. So Monday I started paying attention and here are some things that gave me hope this week:
A Mourning Dove who reminds me that hope can be a thing with feathers.
A 50 degree day in December.
A rosy sunrise after a long week of grey days.
The notification that a long waited for book is ready for pick up!
The promise of snow on Christmas.
Discovering On Being’s Experience Poetry
Dr. Fauci
and this wisdom…it really struck a chord with me.
I wish you all a Blessed Christmas. See you back here next week!
Photo by Egor Kamelev from Pexels
Nice Kat! I am one who does not really mind the shorter days of winter (love to hibernate and nap). Fletch on the other hand is terribly bothered by the lack of sunlight. Snow on the ground this past week has helped – the reflections and keeping it light a little bit later have been nice for him. There truly is hope everywhere you look…sometimes you just need to dig a little bit for it. I’ll look forward to your weekly posts. Merry Christmas!
One thing I started to do at the beginning of the pandemic, when I started writing in a journal again, was to note (in addition to whatever thoughts I had to jot down) three things I accomplished and five things that brought me joy each day. They don’t have to be big things, but I really have noticed that the act of coming up with five joys each day has made me focus more on what is good. And knowing that I have to list five joys makes me purposefully look for the good around me instead of focusing on the bad. I’m not ignoring the bad/sad news, but at least I feel like I have more of a balance, and that’s helping me a lot with my general mood. I hope that you have a similar experience.
Merry Christmas to you and your family!
This is so wonderful, Kat, and your weekly thoughts on hope will bring me hope. Every time I hear Dr. Fauci (most recently on the In the Bubble podcast) he brings me grateful for his optimistic honesty! And I’m not sure I could have lasted this long in the pandemic without poetry, so thank you for the Experience Poetry link. Lots of hope here!
Merry Christmas, Kat!
“The notification that a long waited for book is ready for pick up!” That is always the brightest pick-me-up in a day! (And–I had a good laugh at myself–when I clicked on your last hyperlink I thought there was something wrong with my computer! Oh, goodness. You have given me two lifts today. And if I lived in Pgh, I’d knock on your door and give you an air hug.)
Hi
Nice post. I wish you a Merry Christmas.
I cannot wait to follow along on your hopeful journey! I love your choice of topic… we could all use a little more hope right now.
May you have a very Merry Christmas, Kat!
Merry Christmas Kat!
Hope and gratitude are both so very important! Nice list and hope you had a wonderful Christmas.
I’m unusual in that I like the darkness but I am always ready for the next season to arrive. Lovely list and already I notice that it stays a wee bit lighter each night.
What a lovely idea, Kat! and perfect timing. Looking forward to seeing how your hope lists evolve with the longer days … and that all-important inauguration next month!