Solstice 2018: Night

It’s a full moon tonight. 

Ironically, with a full moon overhead, this night of deep darkness was transformed into one of the brightest nights we’ve enjoyed lately. Tonight we wandered our neighborhood with hot toddies and hot chocolates in our thermoses, admiring garish holiday displays and bumping into friends along the way. I couldn’t help but think the Cold Moon was trying to complete with the flashy holiday lights as it drifted in and out of the clouds, vying for our attention.

Later, we settled in for a mediocre holiday movie selected by our seven-year old, which, to be fair, did have a few sweet moments, not the least of which was when our own kitty, Chester, arrived midway through to watch it with us by curling up right on top of all our blanket- covered laps on the couch.

We ate sparkly ginger molasses cookies made by a friend. We eagerly read through the stack of holiday greetings that arrived in today’s mail. And then, as is our tradition on the weekends, headed to bed to read and snuggle — with the kiddo wedged into the “big bed” with us. Tonight we embraced some calm, some bright, and the comfort of those we love — we conjured our own light on this dark night.

Happy Winter Solstice.

Photo: Full moon over Seattle. A full moon won’t appear on the Winter Solstice again until 2094.