Good | Bad | Rad #21 – darkness and light

A look back at some of the best, hardest and most surprising parts of my week.

The Good

Solstice. There are lots of reasons to love winter solstice, but my favorite is it marks the beginning of longer days. More sunlight FTW!

Clear skies. We’ve been getting dumped on lately. But in between the rain and overcast skies, there have been really spectacular moments. I particularly loved catching a glimpse of a tiny crescent moon rising outside my window.

Snow. On a morning run this week, I had to pause and revel in the gorgeousness of the fresh snow across the river in Forest Park. You could clearly see the snowline in the trees, and as a backdrop to my favorite bridge? Stunning.

The Bad

Holiday Strangeness. There’s something about this time of year that brings out the most interesting behavior in people. It requires frequent recitation of the always useful “it’s not about you” mantra.

Vitriolic Response to Tragedy. The horrible massacre last week in Connecticut has spawned some of the most impassioned vitriol I’ve seen since 9/11. The polarities exacerbated in the recent election cycle have become even deeper. It’s heartbreaking that it’s so difficult to have civil discourse about difficult issues. Things are not going to get better until we can look at everything that contributes to our world where anyone thinks that a killing spree is an option and can do it easily.

The Rad

Christmas Tree. I haven’t had a tree for a number of years. I almost didn’t get one this year. I’m so glad I did. Decorating it was a happy journey down memory lane. I’d forgotten how many of my ornaments were gifts or bought to commemorate an event from a particular year or during travels. Not to mention the fact that my mom has been giving me horse-themed ornaments nearly every year since the 80’s.