SOLSTICE!!!

it's officially winter, dudes.
i mean it-
today is the day!
the solstice-
the darkest day of the year-
what?
no.
...it's not the shortest (they're all twenty four hours long, bro).
but, it's now f'really-real wintertime.
and that must mean it's time for a winter wonderland, right?
fluffy, freshly-driven white christmassy snowfall an' that, yeah?
c'mon.
what are you?
an A*-hole?
now way.
naturally, it's raining and turning into doomsday ice everywhere around me.
why would mama nature do us dirty like that?
because rules is rules, and there are two rules that always apply-
number one: nature wins. that's just how it is.
and number two: if i've got to drive somewhere far,
the weather will always find a way to try to kill me.
yep.
-
but, it's the solstice, and that means ley lines and axis-rotations,
and relative dimensions of time and space,
are all aligned to take us on a quick descent into lightless night sooner than any other day.
that's dark, literally, and figuratively-  like, grim, even.
but, there's the good news:
starting tomorrow, everything gets a few minutes bright bright brighter.
and besides, all the holiday illumination will heavily light pollute the skies,
and through XI-mas, there'll be MORE lumens than nature can compete against-
in fact, the darkest darks make the shiny shines MORE expert.
it's all just a study in contrasts, neighbors-
without the bitter, the sweet's not as sweet.
and speaking of wintertime sweets, look at this:

uh-huh.
i'd never made a gingerbread house before.
they got all the varieties, man,
those are three separate hobby kits, for three unique personalities.
embry, cohen, and cali.
s'kyoot!
and as for me?
i mostly shivered and shook and convulsed and convalesced.
uh-huh.
you do the right thing, because it's the right thing, even when you're sick af.
that's real.
and look:

yup.
sweater buddies.
we do that.
*
investing time and building relationships and hopefully creating strong bonds between
hearts and minds? i think that's called making a family.
the time we span, and the space we occupy is warm, and bright,
and together, the ever-increasing number of bodies, big and small,
with their unique skillsets, are interweaving and overlapping and lacing up
into a great big connected knotwork web of spirit and memory and love.
it feels pretty bright, even on the darkest day,
and i'm grateful for these dudes, and for our time together;
never quiet, never soft.....