The winter solstice is right around the corner, and I am quite excited for it. This year has become a beacon of hope in a turbid part of my life, and though I continue to struggle with accepting the Darkness, I am getting better at it. There are still scraps of negativity floating around from the last two to three years, and with this solstice I feel as though a great renewal will be at my feet. This solstice, I take off my dark cloak, step into the cold, and drink the silent in air between death and rebirth. When I open my eyes, the first lightshine of a new path will be before me, and I shall step into the Light with a freshness I have not had in 3 years.

I am so ready for the light to return. However, in order to truly travel free of past burdens, we must let them die. Certain internal things - emotional pains, the past, worries - are hard to let go, though my best efforts will be made. External things - bad habits, like my goddamn smoking - are easier to shed. So, I plan to leave these habits to the Darkness as well, to be destroyed.

I will not only open my eyes to a new path, but to a new Me. I have often felt like a door with a rusted lock - the key is turning but nothing's budging yet. I feel some of the rust has chipped away during my practices and studies this year, and I might just be ready to open the door....