12/21/2022
- the sun, moon, and stars, created to mark the times and seasons -
- the longest night just before we remember the birth of Jesus, the ‘with-us-ness’ of God -
I love these moments of pause and quiet.
For you, again, on this winter solstice, or for someone you love. Because for so many folks, it has been a year of achingly long nights. So I am sliding this under your door in blessing and in hope. And to friends in the Southern Hemisphere, blessings of the summer solstice to you!
BLESSING FOR THE LONGEST NIGHT
All throughout these months,
as the shadows
have lengthened,
this blessing has been
gathering itself,
making ready,
preparing for
this night.
It has practiced
walking in the dark,
traveling with
its eyes closed,
feeling its way
by memory,
by touch,
by the pull of the moon
even as it wanes.
So believe me
when I tell you
this blessing will
reach you,
even if you
have not light enough
to read it;
it will find you,
even though you cannot
see it coming.
You will know
the moment of its
arriving
by your release
of the breath
you have held
so long;
a loosening
of the clenching
in your hands,
of the clutch
around your heart;
a thinning
of the darkness
that had drawn itself
around you.
This blessing
does not mean
to take the night away,
but it knows
its hidden roads,
knows the resting spots
along the path,
knows what it means
to travel
in the company
of a friend.
So when
this blessing comes,
take its hand.
Get up.
Set out on the road
you cannot see.
This is the night
when you can trust
that any direction
you go,
you will be walking
toward the dawn.
—Jan Richardson
from The Cure for Sorrow: A Book of Blessings for Times of Grief
Image: "Longest Night"
© janrichardsonimages.com
