Happy Yule/Solstice!

I know many of you who read this blog aren't Pagan, but many of you are.  For those of you Pagans out there, Happy Yule (or Solstice, whichever you prefer)!  It's that wonderful time of year.

As I look at my surroundings, I'm reminded exactly why I want to move home so badly.  All of my friends on Facebook have been commenting about the snow in Massachusetts.  There isn't even a chance it might snow here.

I know what you're thinking.  If it were actually snowing, I might not be so happy.  I'd be shutting myself up in the house so I can avoid the crazy drivers.  I'd be complaining about having to shovel.  The cold always makes everything hurt.  I'm just not a person built for cold weather!

Still, I look back at my time in the cold winters of the North East and I can't help but feel it's home.  That's where I belong.  I really do love the snow, even if it comes with it's own challenges.  It's a part of who I am and where I'm from.  I guess that makes it almost a part of my history.

I remember when my daughter was a year old deciding to go out in the snow one year.  We needed to run somewhere, but I don't remember where, probably to the grocery store.  It was evening and dark, but with all of the city lights in Salem reflecting off the snow, it's amazing how bright it was.  I always forget how incredibly light it is at night with all the snow.  Even just the moonlight seems so much brighter!  During the snow storm it seemed warm.  The snowflakes falling from the air were so incredibly beautiful.  Even though I was already in my twenties by then, I was still trying to catch snowflakes on my tongue like a little kid.  My ex was annoyed by the weather, but I loved it.

Last year we had a reasonable snow storm here in February.  All the kids were out making snow men or having snowball fights.  I drove around taking pictures of things all covered in snow.  I had way too much fun with that!  I had forgotten how much I loved the snow.  The only thing that saddened me was being unable to dress for the weather, and worse, not being able to dress my kids for the weather.  The kids don't have snow boots and their sneakers are Converse made of canvas, so they're not really ideal for snow.  We were in the middle of moving, so their hats and scarves were all packed up.  We were in the middle of a hot streak in February!  We weren't going to need them until after the move, right?  The kids did still freeze in the snow so they could go play, but it just wasn't the same.  I'm really looking forward to moving back to New England some day in the future and really getting to enjoy the snow again.

However, until then, I'm just going to have to enjoy my Yule.  The sun's light will be returning.  I've already made my plans for this new year.  A lot will be going on for the year!  It's exciting!

I hope everyone is having a wonderful Yule, and for those of you who don't celebrate, Christmas is right around the corner!