Just as the leaves fall and the days grow shorter, we humans experience our own yearly changes. The end of Daylight Savings Time in early November signifies, for many of us, the beginning of winter. Here, in the Northeastern United States, darkness starts to creep in around 4 pm. We plan our days around what time it will be dark, reminding ourselves to leave outside lights on when running afternoon errands. Cloudy and rainy days are particularly gloomy and dismal. Even on the brightest days, the sun stays low in the sky, barely rising before beginning its early descent. It’s the time of year when we are most keenly aware of our own inner clocks.
Many of us are profoundly affected by the external changes in light. Our brains send out signals to help us reset our biologic clock to this new cycle. The Germans call these cues Zeitgebers which means “time-givers,” daylight being the most significant. There’s a lot of science behind this but for me, it boils down to one thing – I simply crave the lost sunlight.
Here’s where I have to admit that I’m a sun worshipper. I’ve always loved the sun and every summer of my childhood was spent at the beach. After a day of frolicking in the sand and surf, I felt positively energized by all the sunlight I had soaked up and sun worship became a lifelong religion.
During the spring and summer months, I spend a lot of my time outside, tending my vegetable and flower gardens. I take daily walks around the neighborhood, soaking up all that life-giving sunlight and feeling nourished by it. But it’s the late fall and early winter months that are the real challenge for me, dark November and December being the worst. I mourn the loss of my gardens and must satisfy my sun cravings with getting outside as much as possible. Aside from living in front of a sun lamp, it’s the best I can do.
This winter, I will sip hot tea in front of a cozy fire while my beloved gardens are sleeping under the snow. On the days that are not too frigid or wet, I will brave the outdoors seeking what little sunlight I can find. It’s always a long haul until spring but by late January the days are noticeably longer and the sun becomes stronger with the promise of fair days ahead. Now, if only I could hibernate until April!
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