The Perils of Time Change

In case you haven’t heard, the time changed this weekend. Yeah. We “fell back.”

Even though I expect it every year, I’m still quite dumbfounded when it’s dark by 5 PM.

My initial knee jerk reaction is to be sad, to lean toward my longstanding seasonal depression with only the thought of Christmas holding me upright.

And other than the thrill of “gaining” an extra hour, I imagine that you may feel the same way too.

That’s why I felt compelled to write this post, to ask you to look at this through a different lens- say, a telescope.

Time change is difficult, and as a former sleep specialist, I’m supposed to oppose everything about it (clinically, I do!)

But truthfully, I love this time of year. It leads me to slow down, to become more introspective, and to finally look to the heavens and remember the things that I’ve overlooked, that I’ve missed, hiding in plain sight.

It was Carl Sagan who said, “The cosmos is within us. We are made of star-stuff. We are a way for the universe to know itself.”

I love this quote. As a person (like many others) who often feels alone, this quote grants belonging. Purpose. Resolve. Resilience.

So today, as the sun set at 4:51 PM and you now sit in your home astounded at how incredibly dark it is outside now and how it will be dark when you leave work tomorrow, I ask you for this:

Before you get in your car tomorrow evening, grant the beautiful night sky the grace of your glance.

Marvel at the stars and how much their location changes from night to night. They sure do love to dance.

See what planets you can find. Get an app at first, but eventually you’ll remember what they look like- they are all quite unique.

Greet your earth’s moon. She’s been watching over you since the day you were born. She’s been beaten up quite a bit in her long life, but she remains steadfast beautifully reflecting the light of a day we’ve yet to experience.

And with that request, I leave you with one of my favorite quotes from “The Old Astronomer to His Pupil,” by Sarah Williams:

“I have loved the stars too fondly to be fearful of the night.”

Happy Time Change, friends.