Dark Days

How do we find the light during dark times?

The days have grown shorter, the news has grown heavier, and I’ve been struggling to find any meaningful words to share here. I feel quieter, more reflective.

We have put the garden to bed, but it continues to feed us. I’ve enjoyed homemade pasta sauce that was canned this summer. We used the last harvest of herbs for our Thanksgiving turkey and I made scones with what was left over. Last weekend, I made cocktails garnished with our sour cherries that had been soaking in bourbon since we harvested them. These are bright spots for sure, small reminders of sunny days.

We went to the neighborhood holiday potluck, which was fun and festive, but people have also been meeting to organize in support of our neighbors who are being targeted by ICE. Many of us at The Quad have been supporting family members in moving, having surgery, or living with chronic pain. We’ve also put up Christmas trees, stockings, and lights on the tree in the front yard. It is often jarring that all these things are happening at the same time, so I am learning once again that joy and pain can and do exist in close proximity. The twinkling of lights make the dark days a little brighter just as our connections to others makes the dark times a little lighter.

Last Friday, Luisa and I left Pittsburgh very early in the morning to drive back to Minneapolis. We started before the sun rose and it seemed to take forever before we saw first light. We got lucky with the weather and decided to push through in one day with the company of a good audio book. After 14 1/2 hours, we made it to The Quad. It was as dark when we arrived as it had been when we set out that morning and we were exhausted but the lights on the building made me smile. Our friends helped us unload our car and then welcomed us home with homemade chicken noodle soup and warm bread. “We are so lucky,” I thought. We really are. This act of kindness was not lost on me and I know it is a great example of finding light in the literal and figurative darkness. All we can do is offer what we have to each other.

I meant it when I said that I am struggling to find words these days. I just wanted to share a moment of light with all of you and I’m hoping that you’ll share yours in the comments. We need it more than ever.

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Pictures from around The Quad…

First Row (l to r): Magali, Cy, Ollie | Second Row (l to r): Thanksgiving dinner, herb scones, beautiful grasses in our neighbor's yard | Third Row (l to r): Kris and Luisa putting lights on the tree, a yeti stocking, sunrise this morning