Fall Back

Ah, yes, "fall back" — the extra hour of sleep, the long morning. It was all fine until about 5 p.m. Then the early darkness (especially with yesterday's clouds and rain) and the news from Texas of the country's latest mass shooting made it all too clear that we're heading into the dark days of the year. 

How do we face the darkness? With light, of course. For me, quite literally. I dusted off the full-spectrum lamp and brought it upstairs.  That and clean, fresh laundry, the sweaters aired, a small but growing pile of things to give away — make me feel better equipped to deal with this pared-down season. 

It's the illusion of control, that which makes me feel I'm doing something about things that are completely beyond my puny power. Under the clock of one of my elementary school classrooms was this proverb/warning/joke:  "Time will pass. Will you?" Seems like a good season to remember it.