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Cari Donaldson's avatar

When I was a "productive" member of society (read: worked outside the home, as a middle school teacher), the approach of this time of year was terrifying. I hated going in to work in darkness, and driving back home in darkness. Only the weekends seemed bright and alive. Everything else felt like it took place in a cave. I felt like I was in a cave, trapped.

Now that I'm a stay at home mom and farmer, and not productive in a wage economy sense, I find that I'm not scared of the shorter days, that I'm more selective about what I choose to get done, and the work is more enjoyable when imbued with discernment.

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Jack McNulty's avatar

I fight the changing of seasons every year – and when I say seasons, I really mean the changing of time. Losing an hour of light during the evening feels more like 3 hours…even though I haven’t lost anything, I still have 24 hours every day. Still…I have a battle with darkness every year. My mind tells me I need more light, more time, more, more, more… But I’m beginning to figure out something significant – the darkness brings me life. My spirit self wakes up…and all the distractions I embrace when the light forms the majority of the day vanish… The darkness of the season ushers in spiritual minimalism – everything seems simple…everything comes to light in the darkness.

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