GA Writing Prompts - 46. Winter Solstice

Winter Solstice

by

Dolores Esteban

"Winter solstice has a deeper meaning," Grandma said, placing a candle in the window. "Winter solstice is the birthday of the sun and of the new year. Within the time of greatest darkness, the light of the world is reborn. The hours of daylight begin to grow and the hours of darkness will lessen."

"Yes," Great-Aunt Rose said. "The holiday goes back to ancient times. It is a time of rejoicing and thanksgiving and a time of hope. The beauty and the truth of the light is remembered and honored."

"Let me tell you the story", Grandma said, turning to us.

She sat down and told us the story, the one she tells us every year on winter solstice.

"Once upon time, a splendid light shone upon the land in summer and winter. The light was bright and it filled the hearts of the people with joy. But as time went by, people got accustomed to the ever-shining light. They took it for granted and acknowledged it less and lesser. The light faded over time. But people did not realize. They were so absorbed in their daily habits and in their selfish dreams and goals that they gave the fading light no thought. Only a few watched with worry what happened. But even those did not interfere.

The centuries went by and the light shone only in summer. It faded in autumn and was almost gone in winter. Winter had become a dark and cold time. And with that change, people had changed also. Many grew sad and depressed when the light faded in autumn. Many suffered during the long and cold winter days. They blamed each other for their depression. And thus people grew angry and became mad at each other. They quarreled and many even waged war.

At that time, an old wizard sat alone in his tower. He had lived a long life and he knew he had almost walked his path to its end. He pondered on his life and he pondered on what he had gained and on what he had lost. And he found that what he regretted most was that he had lost the light in his heart and with it his genuine love.

Love is what keeps us alive and draws us to each other. When there is no love, then there is no light, and people’s souls are dark and their hearts are cold and people’s eyes are blind.

The wizard was a wise man. He saw that what had happened. The light in the outside world had faded because the light and the love in the hearts of the people had faded. Once people had been innocent and their hearts had been filled with joy. They had been like very young children who see the light shine everywhere.

The wizard felt an immense grief. And he swore he would not leave this world without bringing back a bit of the light, even if it was just a spark. He thought that if he was able to light the flame in his heart again, then perhaps the light and the love would spread in the world once more. He decided to look for the light.

The wizard was a mighty and gifted wizard. He had many skills and he had experienced a lot. He decided to travel to the source of the splendid light that once had shone upon the land. And so he travelled back in time.

He was almost blinded when he opened his eyes. The splendid light that was shining in the beginning of time was so bright that the wise man was not able to see anything for a while. But his eyes slowly adjusted. And then he took in the splendor until his heart was entirely filled with glee and joy. The wise man shed tears and he wept for joy. And when he felt he could not take in any more, he travelled back to where he had come from. The world was dark and cold. It was the longest night of the year. It was the night of winter solstice.

The wizard put candles in the windows of his tower. And the light shone far over the country. The people gathered in front of the tower and gazed up to the many flames in the windows. Then the wise man opened the door and stepped out. He was filled with so much love and happiness. The energy radiated from his heart and touched the souls of the people. Each of them absorbed a bit of the light from the beginning of time. They absorbed the light that the wise man had brought with him. And then the wizard told them his story. The people felt love and peace in their hearts. They hurried home to spread the light and the love and they told the wizard’s story to their families.

From that time on, Winter Solstice has been a holiday that people celebrate with their loved ones. We place candles in the windows in memory of the wise man and his selfless deed. We sit in front of the fireplace and we acknowledge the fire and the light. And we share our love and happiness with our loved ones."

Grandma fell silent.

Great-Aunt Rose let out a sigh. "There will always be hope for the future," she said.