Today is the winter solstice — the shortest day of the year, with more than 14 hours of darkness.
After today, the light returns.
These past few months have been a struggle. There are 4,000 miles of distance between me and my husband. I am waiting for a visa while clearing out a home, with no real timeline for a final move. Time stretches before me endlessly and, at the same time, I’m unable to plan anything more than a few weeks out.
Several friends have also been waging their own personal battles. Kids and marriages and divorces, health challenges, healing from trauma, so much stress and anxiety. After two (almost three?!) years of a pandemic, we’re all exhausted.
“I appreciate that we can be messes together,” I texted friends tonight. And it’s true. Having friends that show up messy, who love you through your messes, are everything.
But from here, it gets lighter. I’m holding on to that.
My quarterly newsletter goes out on the first day of each season. Read the winter 2022 issue — and sign up, if you like — at ingridmurray.substack.com.