A few minutes past 1 am on December 21st, our magnificent orb of a planet tipped back, took a moment and gave a nod to the sun, which itself was about to reverse its diligent course of candesence — all of it forging a sliver of cosmic stillness known as the winter solstice of the northern hemisphere. By the very next day, the sun hovered above the mountains for a whopping 20 additional seconds! 40 more the day after that. Another minute the day after that, and so on.
Why does any of this matter?
Because from now on, every new day offers a little more light.
Because even the sun presses pause on its daily path.
And because brilliant luminosity emerges from the darkest of times.
A perfect sendoff for 2020, if I ever heard of one. And also a great opportunity, in my opinion, to look hard at all the light that has — against so many odds — cracked through the onslaught of darkness that has accompanied this very unique year. It hasn’t been simple or straightforward to embrace the wild ride, so here’s a quick look back at some of the ways I personally went about it:
- Even though I live in rural Alaska, I “travel” through cooking with flavor profiles that sensorily transport me.
- Despite the isolation, I enjoy the creative closeness that comes with this warm and insightful community of fellow seafood enthusiasts.
- Far away from the familiar buzz of city living, here in Alaska I dive into the magic of the cycles, letting those raw and wild rhythms be the keepers of my time.
- Since much of the “big” stuff of life is currently in flux, I try to channel my joy into the little ones, finding my optimism in the details of the day, largely spent experimenting in the kitchen or watching my baby boy discover his existence on our aforementioned magnificent orb.
So, here’s to reveling in every additional second of light.
To pausing for a moment to take it all in.
And to celebrating the brilliant luminosity that inevitably lays ahead.
Live Wild and Happy Everything!
Monica
Pictured above: A sunset in Homer that would sing an Italian opera if it could, proving once again that while daylight may be scarce this time of year in Alaska, when it is here, it certainly does not hold back!
