The Winter Solstice

Thank God for the winter solstice! Even though I know that Christmas as it's celebrated today is in the wrong season because the early Christian church moved it from spring to winter so Pagans would more readily accept Christianity, I still love December 21st for the beauty of its scientific milestone. Carlos & I were talking about that on Tuesday on our way out of the plant after working on my six sigma project.

Carlos (in an attempt at small talk as a transition from the technical work conversation about statistics which was way over his head, and to break the uncomfortable silence between us) stated, "tomorrow is the winter equinox. Or is it the winter solstice?"

"It's the winter solstice...the shortest day of the year," I replied. "The equinox is in the fall and spring when the daylight hours are at equal length to those of night. Think equal, equinox. The solstice represents the pinnacle, or high point. The winter and summer solstices represent the shortest and longest days of the year. It's easily understood when you think of the elliptical...oh what is it...you know the shape of the thing the Earth does around the Sun?"

"The orbit?" he tentatively replied.

"Yes, the elliptical orbit of the Earth around the Sun. The Earth has an elliptical orbit around the Sun, and there are the two lines that intersect its orbit. The equinoxes occur on the short line, and the solstices occur at the longest lines, er go the longest days and the longest nights. But the day and night hours are only equal on the equinox at the equator."

With that I was quickly reminded that I'm a total nerd, except that I find beauty in the simple things, like this view from my back yard. It reminds me that the days are going to start getting longer and I'll soon be able to come home from work and walk at sundown (one of my favorite activities), and before I know it, winter will be over, warm weather will return, and by God's grace I'll be outside enjoying the natural beauty of all that He created. So I say each year on the winter solstice, "Welcome winter, because this too shall pass!"