Sunday Whatever

Today’s whatever is a beautiful piece of prose written by the legend that is Tom Sheehan. Anyone who is a regular reader will be aware of Tom’s enormous contribution to the site. Newcomers would be well advised to have a look at his back catalogue. All four pages of titles. Now, though we give you Winter Solstice 2016

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Winter Solstice 2016 by Tom Sheehan

Thinking of the iconic and beautiful Simon and Garfunkel song The Sound of Silence the first lyrical line says, “Hello darkness, my old friend.” This profound lyric caused me to think of the annual winter solstice. Winter’s darkness combined with penetrating cold and winter storms can test resilience of the most hearty. This planetary adjustment comes on the cusp of Christmas and New Year, but less socially celebrated in the current human era. Ancient humans had no books, calendars, written language or human structured religious formats, but they knew about Solstice because they were cognizant of the cosmos, its presence, and functions. So, when Simon penned his song, so many of us enjoy and relate to, I wonder if he may have had in mind ancient humans embracing darkness in recognition of their spiritual connection to the stars. Often we relate to darkness in an evil context, and as we contemplate ancient human tribes and their embrace of universal movement and vastness the term evil may not always apply.

Science tells us our planet is four and a half billion years old, and for millions of years it was a cold, barren, lifeless mass of matter with no atmosphere aimlessly wandering around a small bright sun. The Sun expanded and an atmosphere developed as the planet cooled, and microscopic organisms were first to appear. Now we are surrounded by billions of complex life forms. Darkness is firmly attached to Earth’s long historical journey. During modern times darkness is embraced as a quiet time, when our species typically sleeps in preparation for the coming light of day. The same is true with seasonal presence, and we arrange personal functions differently during winter, as life presents a less active performance during winter months. Then the curtain opens illuminating the magnificence of spring, and we rejoice. The question arises. Would we celebrate spring’s arrival with such vigor if winter’s challenge did not befall us? The glory of spring reminds us of life’s magnificence and how powerful and important its presence is. We plant gardens, and sit outside on a warm, sunny spring days and our spirits are penetrated by the newness and blessing of being alive.

Reading news reports causes dismay, as it reveals we, as species, are unable to portray or create our own spring season. Negative functions plague us, and we embrace war and hate far greater than any other earthly life form. We kill and disparage each other over multiple clashing issues regarding race, religion and territorial dominance. Are we in winter as a species awaiting seasonal changes? Ancient artifacts reveal far less dysfunctional ideology than during modern times. War, as we now relate to it, and mass killing of each other is a rather new idea on the human timeline, but appears to be expanding and peaceful coexistence has remained elusive since warfare’s infusion about seven thousand years ago. However, weaponry has developed exponentially forming a massive and potentially damaging conundrum pertaining to our future as a species. Love, harmony and profound unity exists on a ubiquitous scale among so many fellow natural earthly beings we share our planet with, but humanity stands alone in its propensity for omnipresent lack of ability to embrace what surely seems to be a better place. Lessons from our brothers and sisters of the Earth may offer solution. A large dose of diversity may be considered as a better pathway.    Happy Solstice to all, and we will share the blooms and blossoms coming soon. I look forward to tiny leaves appearing on osiers, and dogwood trees will present their magnificent flowers. Hunker down and wait, it will come, and we will bathe in its delight once again

Tom Sheehan

Banner Image – Pixabay.com – Pot pourrie of dried leaves and petals.