We changed the clocks this weekend; fell back. It is dark by 5 PM.

And so, we have a decision to make, don't we?*

Do we rail against the early dark? Or, do we settle in to a new season?

I am gonna' choose the latter.

I love the dark, the neighborhood quiet, house lights on, people looking cozy as I walk the neighborhood.

I am drawn to books more than ever. A candle lit, a warm mug of tea or cider, a good novel. A warm blanket, soup bubbling on the stove. Is this heaven?

I want to sleep more, so I let myself. My body seems to know what she's doing. The bed calls to me and I tuck myself in, socks on my chilly toes. A smile on my face. "Rest," I tell myself, "just rest."

I recover from a summer of mowing, gardening, all the work needed to tame our little bit of the earth, to keep it from running wild. Now, my gardens rest, too. Gathering up energy to burst forth once again in the spring.

But not yet. Now is the time for us to revel in the beauty of the dark. To let the cold come and to light a flame against the chill. To cease our running, to settle around tables and fireplaces, to play cards, to let a great book take us away, to dream deep and long.

Let the darkness descend. Welcome it. For it holds more blessing than we know.

* My friends with Seasonal Affective Disorder, I see you. I get that the early dark feels more like curse than blessing to you. I carry you in my heart.