Darkness

I love the darkness – not metaphorically, but literally.  I like to sleep in a dark room.  I like walking outside in the dark.

 I really love to see the nighttime sky.  Recently we had the biggest full moon in a long time.  The moon was (for some reason) closer to the earth.  Venus and Jupiter have also been in conjunction.  Venus, the brighter of the planets, has been moving higher in the sky, while Jupiter has been moving lower.  I try to imagine what it would have been like hundreds of years ago, looking at the night sky, not really knowing a planet from a star.  Why would some of these lights seem to be still, while others are in different positions every day?

 By the way, the word “planet” comes from the Greek word for “wanderer.”  These heavenly bodies appear to wander across the night sky.  It amazes me that any one could look at the movement of these orbs and determine that they orbit the sun.  I just enjoy watching them.

 As we approach the shortest day of the year, there is plenty of darkness.  But even in this darkness, there is light.  And it is beautiful.