Rage, rage against the dying of the light."
These are the first and last words of a poem by Dylan Thomas. They didn't mean much to me when I first heard them in high school. Frankly, poetry wasn't top on my interest list. I'm still not a big fan, but I have grown an appreciation for certain words spoken at the right moment.
Dylan Thomas' words came to me this weekend. Having worked all day Saturday to prepare our yard for the looming winter months, I was feeling a bit morose. Was summer really over? Did we really have to accept that winter was around the corner? The days are getting shorter, and that is what sparked my memory of the poem. The meaning of "good night" in the poem is death, but I thought it was also appropriate for those of us who live in northern parts of the world. We do face a "dying of the light".
But we can rage against this dying of the light. We can recreate light in our homes, offices, shops and other places where we spend our days and evenings. The first step is to stimulate our senses with the colours, smells and sounds of summer. Use plants and flowers, candles, and colorful decorating items to reawaken your surroundings. Splurge at the grocery store and buy exotic fruit and vegetables that remind you of tropical vacations (yours or the ones you see on television travel networks). Maximize your time in the sun; we may have limited daylight hours and many rainy/snowy days, but we can take advantage of the sunny moments to expose ourselves to the healthy effects of the winter sun. And remember that true rejuvenation comes from within. Research shows that stimulation of the brain's learning centres keeps us young, so take that course you've been thinking about, pick up that book that is calling you, spend an evening surfing on the Internet or watch an informative TV show.
I'd love to hear your ideas on how to rage against the dying of the light. We have another 2 months before the days start getting longer, so the more ideas, the better!
Have a great week!
