“This is the solstice, the still point of the sun, its cusp and midnight, the year’s threshold and unlocking, where the past lets go of and becomes the future; the place of caught breath.”

~ Margaret Atwood

On Monday, December 21, 2020, at 2:02 a.m. PST, the Northern Hemisphere was pointed the furthest distance away from the sun. This was the exact moment of the Winter Solstice — the longest night, the shortest day. This year, the Solstice coincided with the remarkable planetary conjunction of Jupiter and Saturn, popularly referred to as “The Christmas Star” — an event not seen in nearly 800 years.

The Winter Solstice is celebrated everywhere with festivals, rituals, and feasts celebrating the victory of light over dark. In the words of Frederick Lenz, “The Winter Solstice is the time of ending and beginning, a powerful time — a time to contemplate your immortality. A time to forgive, to be forgiven, and to make a fresh start. A time to awaken.”

I love the slow return to the light. As the days begin to last longer, I start to feel joy building in my heart. I look forward to morning walks as the dawn breaks, the sun painting the sky with lush hues of pink, mauve and blue. My soul is buoyant as the day lengthens into evening. I recognize a burgeoning of hope.

Do you feel that too?

2020 has been a trial for us all — we yearn for a return to normalcy.  We are anticipating the light.

My wish for the new year is that we learn from the hard lessons of 2020. I believe we need to take care of ourselves, each other and our planet. We must act with kindness and be the best we can be.

I am not a person who makes New Year’s resolutions — I rarely have the will to follow through on them past the beginning of February. But this year, I feel that I can promise to live my life with intent — to live each day with focus and purpose. I pledge to take care of myself, to nurture my relationships, to be kind always, to reduce my footprint on the Earth, to dream big and to follow my passions. Are these resolutions? Maybe. I think of them as intentions.

Let us all go forward into the light with hope for the future.

Find out how you can begin to live with purpose — read this article: The Helpful Guide to Living an Intentional Life.

Are you making resolutions or setting intentions for 2021? Share your thoughts for the New Year in the comments.