The New Sun

Grace and greetings.

The dark and cold are starting to affect us now. It is getting harder to get out of bed more often than not. We do have a SADD lamp, for the seasonal disorder of lack of light, that helps sometimes but not always.

Our son has returned to school this week, so hopefully this will give him something to do, and get him going.

Even though I have reason to come to church every day, some days are harder than others to make it. My therapist has told me to "be gentle with myself", and not beat myself up on the days that I cannot seem to do anything. For me, it seems to be different than the depressions I have experienced in the past; more fear and lack of energy than before. But I am not hiding in my bed for days on end, so things are going okay.

This afternoon I tried to cheer myself up with lighting a fire in the fireplace in the pastor's office here at the church. My Administrative Assistant and I could smell something different, so she called the city about the possibility of natural gas leaking in the fireplace. Somebody was here within ten minutes, (if not faster), to confirm that we were getting carbon dioxide gas in the vents, so the vent above is probably blocked. With the wind chill around -40, I am not sure who wants to climb the roof to find out just yet. I guess another time.

I am getting ready to teach a class on the Sermon on the Mount, (Matthew 5-7), and reading of the beatitudes usually help lift my moods. Nothing at the moment though.

Obviously, the Inuit have lived with the dark seasons for many centuries. In fact earlier this week in my Inupiaq class, I found out the meaning of some of the months.

Siginaioaq means the month with no sun. (December)
Siginaatchiaq means the month of the NEW SUN (January)
Siginnaasugrk means the month with more sun (February)

It is not like we are totally without any light at all, even on the longest day, we can see the sun light from the horizon, giving us a twilight for most of the six weeks that we are without the sun.

Well here is to looking for a New Sun this year. I guess things are lightning up as I write, I am feeling somewhat better, or is that the CO2?

Peace and blessings to all.