Turning Point

December 21 is one of my favorite days of the year, but not because I celebrate any kind of winter solstice traditions.  Instead, from this day forward, the sun will rise just a few minutes earlier and set just a few minutes later and each day will be a bit longer.  It won’t be noticeable at first.  The days will still be short and the nights long.  But by early February, I’ll begin to notice that it’s lighter when I wake up in the morning or that it’s still light as I walk home in the late afternoon.  Today may be the official turning point of winter, but we still have a lot of winter to go here in Lithuania.  In the cold, cold months of January and February, I’ll at least have a little more light — and that makes a big difference in my emotional well-being.  So, Happy Winter Solstice to you all!