The darkness and the light

Despite the fact that the summer solstice takes place in June every year, the longest day usually catches me by surprise as it feels that summer hasn't truly began yet, with July and August still sprawled ahead of us. That means by the time we've hit the hotter months of the year (in theory anyway!) in the northern hemisphere, I'm expecting long, light evenings, which of course by then are already behind us as the darkness creeps back gradually, almost unnoticeably at first.

This year for me was different. I was heading to Glastonbury for the festival and happened to be arriving on the solstice.

The coincidence and timing of this didn't pass me by as I headed towards the mythical tor and the inevitable traffic queues. So, this year I stopped and took note of it, to appreciate the long light and sunshine of the day and the magic of the extended twilight. It got me thinking about the balance of the year and its predictable cycles.

It made me appreciate our seasons in the UK and the marked differences between them. We wait all winter for the light and heat of summer to come and then when it does, we are so busy we almost don't get the chance to acknowledge it. I've lost count of the times over the past few weeks that someone has uttered the words "where is the year going?" in passing to me. Time does rush by, the wheel of the year turns and we cycle through the seasons and often don't realise it until it's tinged with regret when we notice it's already dark at 8pm and we're prompted to reach for that jumper or pair of socks to combat the evening chill.

So, this year I'm taking the time to stop and look around, to acknowledge the light while it's surrounding me and to appreciate the opportunity it gives to sit in the garden, for beach BBQs, evening walks and the joy of listening to music at festivals. To pause and to live it.