January is the longest, darkest month for me every year. I’m grateful that so far it’s gone fast (although I struggle with how fast time seems to be going) because February is short and then March appears.
The good news is that by the end of January, we gain over thirty minutes of daylight back.
I realize that there are many people for whom it’s not just January that is a struggle, but the feeling of constant darkness is all the time. It could be the longest day of the year and for them it still feels dark.
That said, I do believe that all of us need to go through some darkness. I’m not wishing anything bad on any of us, more that to move forward, we have to experience darkness. It’s only then that we have a greater appreciation of the light. In the same way, as much as I hate winter the cold months, I believe that plants need to die and hibernate to come back stronger in the spring. Winter should be a time of rest for all of us.
If we are experiencing darkness, then it’s up to us to find a way to not just endure that time, but make the most of it. I think of January as a good time to clean out closets, organize things I haven’t had a chance to in the previous year, and tackle projects that keep us indoors (a good time to make a quilt! or two).
Everything looks different in the dark. I know that well- when I wake up in the middle of the night and can’t stop thinking about whatever I’m worried about, often what bothers me then looks different once the sun goes up.
Make use of this time. After all, as someone once told me, the sun has to come up eventually. Winter has to give way to spring. And cold has to be replaced with warmth.