December 11

The night doesn’t merely follow the day. It is a critical phase that allows for cooler temperatures and reduced light. These conditions are essential for many biological processes.

The cooler, darker hours give many ecosystems a much-needed break, making it easier for things like soil to heal and nighttime insects to do their pollination work.

In this metaphorical sense, the night does more than just rest; it actively works to restore natural systems, from the soil to the important actions of animals that only come out at night, all of which strengthen the whole system, around the earth.

Perhaps, in our own lives, in the same way the night creates space to restore natural systems, we also encounter rhythms like night, where, beneath the surface of apparent stillness, essential processes of renewal and growth quietly unfold. Recognizing these subtle, transformative processes might look like this:

-Being aware that you’re experiencing growth, even while you’re waiting

-Finding clarity for certain things, even while you wait for other things to fall in place

-Seeing something/someone in a new way even though you’ve been around them for years

These are all places where quiet transformation may occur subtly beneath the surface, taking place in seemingly still moments, in the same way night supports the cycle of day.

There is an interconnectedness to day and night, much like the interconnectedness between activity and recovery. And perhaps, just as day and night begin and end at different hours and vary in different parts of the world, the same holds true when considering the time needed for activity and recovery, and how it may differ from someone else in a different stage of life.

Our cycles of activity and rest, whether they manifest as literal days and nights or as varying phases of life, can provide opportunities for renewal and growth.