“ There ’ s a balance in nature , an ebb and flow , to the way plants and animals exist . The rhythm of living creatures can be observed even in climates absence of cold and dark winters .”
All of this is of course in stark contrast to months earlier when in September the shadows elongate and the light loss is so rapid that a half hour of it disappears in less than 2 weeks . Then there is a collective slowdown or move away from the encroaching darkness . Hummingbirds , Catbirds , and Monarch Butterflies depart . The Juncos arrive from points north . Leaves fall and a quiet sleep descends on the landscape .
Our modern lives don ’ t allow us to hibernate in the winter . Perhaps this is why seasonal affective disorder can be so acute . What our bodies want is to slow , rest , and unwind . Yet a society based on work for consumption tells us to keep going with limited rest . Last fall , I was watching a fisherman hard at work bathed in the low-angle autumnal light . His day is determined in large part by the seasons and the tides . At low tide , he might need to travel further for work . On winter days , he must start later regardless of the tide schedule , the harvest from the sea also changing as ocean temperatures tumble . I imagine him taking the bounties from the cold , creating a hearty winter stew , and sitting by the embers of a glowing fire — reflecting on another day , another season , and the inevitable arrival of the next .
There ’ s a balance in nature , an ebb and flow , to the way plants and animals exist . The rhythm of living creatures can be observed even in climates without cold , dark winters . Across the vast plains of Africa , annual migrations of animals are set off by subtle and not-so-subtle changes in wind , rain , and even daylight . You might curse or bless this part of the globe where we have more dramatic changes . In New England , most areas lose over 6 hours of daylight between the summer and winter solstice , average afternoon temperatures fall by nearly 50 degrees , and the landscape changes from starker tones of white and gray to brilliant greens peppered with a kaleidoscope of floral hues . Winter is a perfect time to consider , contemplate , and meditate on it all .
Most of us don ’ t lead lives so intimately intertwined with the daily or patterned changes around us , but we can notice and appreciate them . By bringing these dissimilarities closer to us , we can feel more connected in spite of the darkness , and perhaps appreciate from within those longer shadows , including the one stretched out before us .
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