Today is the winter solstice – the shortest day of the year. Driving into work I noticed the beautiful, moody sky with contrasting light and dark clouds. It was a warmer morning than usual, and I felt so alive as I drove with the windows down feeling the cool, fresh air blowing in.

Humans have celebrated the winter solstice as a major celebration for centuries. When we were hunter-gatherers we were so much more connected to nature on a daily basis than many of us may find ourselves today. We lived in nature, and depended on it to keep us fed, warm, and safe season by season.

I recently learned that some of our holiday traditions were actually taken from winter solstice celebrations. The yule log and mistletoe both stem from winter solstice rituals. “Solstice” in Latin means “sun stands still.” During these dark, short days, people would celebrate the cycles of life and rebirth of nature. It was a time to reconnect with one another, celebrate the beauty of Earth, and give thanks for all we had been given over the past year.

Christmas has always been my favorite time of year, but in recent years it seems the focus of the meaning of the holiday season has shifted. While there is so much beauty in giving gifts to show our love for one another, it’s important to hold on to what it true and beautiful. Giving thanks for our beautiful Earth that holds us and keeps us alive, telling the people we love how much they mean to us, and celebrating the cycles of life.

50 years ago today, the Apollo 8 crew traveled to the moon for the first time in human history. While the mission was to discover the moon, the astronauts had a profound realization when they turned the camera back towards the Earth. Astronaut William Anders famously said “We came all this way to explore the Moon, and the most important thing is that we discovered the Earth.”

I think it’s so fitting that this photo was taken on the winter solstice 50 years ago. Today is a beautiful reminder to reconnect with yourself, the people you love, and nature too. We are all one – floating through space on a beautiful, tiny, blue sphere that holds us and keeps us alive. We have so much to be thankful for just to be alive in this time and place in the universe. Today is a great day to call someone you love, donate clothes to a shelter, or meditate for world peace. And you won’t be doing the celebrating alone today! People all over the world will be celebrating according to their own personal custom. How beautiful is that?

I hope my words inspire you in some small way today to pause and take a moment to celebrate this beautiful day.

I wish you a magical winter solstice and a Merry Christmas!