Merry Solstice/Christmas Week to All, and to All…A Good Riddance to 2020, plus Setting Intentions for 2021

Sylvia, looking nonplussed in laundry hamper, with Santa hat

Merry Christmas/Solstice Week to All Who Celebrate

It’s the solstice today, a day for retreating and rest, and for resetting. I know I could use a reset, A little bit more cheer, a little less gloom.

Maybe the vaccine and the new President will help this country reset itself. I hope so. It’s grey and groggy with rain here in Seattle, though I’ve been hoping to get a glimpse of the planetary convergence of Saturn and Jupiter, which they sometimes call “the Christmas star.”

Glenn and I with Michaela’s fox painting and white Solstice/Christmas tree

I’ve been practicing meditation exercises every day, and started a creativity journal (practicing any kind of creativity seems almost impossible right now, doesn’t it? But it is supposed to be good for depression, anxiety, and even pain management.) I did some crafting yesterday (making homemade Totoro ornaments) and writing exercises. I have still been pummeled by rejections, and my MS symptoms have been acting up – muscle spasms, fatigue and vertigo with nausea. I was in so much pain this week I actually almost cried from it (my MS isn’t always that bad, but this week, it was.) I’ve been sleeping like crap. I’m sure some of you can relate. One thing that makes this time of year so hard is we are supposed to be aggressively cheerful, but this year that seems like an unrealistic expectation. So many of us are dealing with loss – lost loved ones, lost jobs, lost health. lost opportunities. This year has seemed to take it out of the best of us. We are trying to practice our Christmastime rituals in the hopes that they might help bring a little bit of brightness.

Seeking the Light Where You Can, Saying Good Riddance to 2020

Space Needle with Christmas Tree lights

Some scenes of December Seattle that are my attempt to find the beauty and the light during the darkest time of year here – in our neighborhood, sunset comes in around 3:30 PM. So I drive around looking for different perspectives.

To the left, the Christmas tree lights on top of the Space Needle at twilight (about 4:30 PM.) Below, a few shots from the winter Lantern Lights at the Zoo, shots of sunset at the Space Needle, a Double Rainbow shot from a Floating Bride, and a Sparkly Reindeer at a Woodinville Winery.

I know we are all saying “get out and good riddance” to 2020, I try to remember the good things that came from this year, too. I spent a lot of this year sick (not with covid, just other weird stuff) so I became acquainted with weighted blankets, the Queen’s Gambit and the Mandalorian, I started a novel (still not very far,) applied for jobs in poetry publishing, and applied for grants I normally would avoid. (I even got two small grants this year, which seems miraculous.) I did a lot of bird watching. I got published in a few “dream” journals, including Poetry and Ploughshares. I tried to find as many inspiring things close to home as possible, since we couldn’t travel or do our usual about-town entertainments.

I am certainly hoping that with the vaccine, it will be a little safer to visit friends, the doctor and dentist, and generally go about the business of living. I have been sheltering in place since February since I am high risk, and here are some things I’m looking forward to at some point next year: visiting my favorite bookstores, hanging out in person with a few friends and family members (maybe still outdoors, but better than nothing,) and not feeling afraid on my short walks in nature when I see other people.

Holiday Ornaments at a local wintery

Setting Intentions for the New Year

This year, I am thinking harder than usual about setting intentions for 2021. What am I hoping for? Thinking about health, work, relationships, the whole shebang. Quality of life. Maybe a new home, a few new friends, a new publisher, a new job? Better health, and I’ve got to get a handle on managing my health problems without getting angry or resentful of my body (after all, it’s gotten me this far, if not perfectly.) Mental health wise, trying to tackle depression (mild) and anxiety (more acute) head on with all the resources I have.

If I want, say, a new place to work or walk, or to find more friends who are supportive of my writing, or to find a publisher for my next two manuscripts, how do we set that intention?

You can imagine things in your mind. You can say mantras, or pray. You can make a vision board, which involves trying your hand at collage (another creative exercise that’s really good for those of us who aren’t visual artists, necessarily.)

At any rate, set a little bit of quiet time tonight to let go of the old year, and think about what you’d like to see in the year to come.