Lately I’ve been complaining about the fact that the days are getting shorter – It is one of the few details about winter that I dislike with a burning passion. Though of course in my books the good still outweighs the bad.

The thought of getting up in the dark and returning home from work only to have the darkness descend again before the light can be enjoyed will send a quiver of despair through even the most hardened individuals. Yet I believe I might have a solution – a bonus if you will. One little detail that, while it may not matter to anyone else, might just be the thing that helps me enjoy the darkness this year.

The darkness brings with it, with eternal inevitability, the starry sky that haunts our dreams and taunts the furthest reaches of our imagination. The sky that I see with very little regularity because of my inability to stay awake later than 11 on a week night. The sky that fills me with such inspiration and hope that I cannot help but smile when I see it.

I will perhaps accept this trade, the light for my inspiration. It is not a cruel trade and will not leave me at a disadvantage. It is inevitable. Perhaps acceptance is the only option.

So I will look upon the shortening days with gratitude and excitement, just as the lengthening did so thrill me in the past. Focusing on what is gained, rather than what is lost.

What better time is there to gaze upon the stars – than the crisp clear nights of winter?