On the shortest day of the year I awoke with good intentions.

I made a point of noticing the world around me at the start of the day:

Bunnies are safely harbored out of sight, out of reach, out of danger from my patrolling dogs. A siren screams in the distance. I hope everyone will be alright.

— Kim Kishbaugh (@kkish) December 21, 2018

I fed my dogs, read the news and got down to business.

I baked 1,000,003 batches of Christmas cookies, did some Christmas shopping, and watched Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer and a couple of other Christmas shorts from way back when. I canceled and rescheduled my annual eye exam, finished a book for the second time and tried to start a new one, found myself unable to concentrate and gave up, heading back to the kitchen instead. I ate canned chili for lunch and leftovers for dinner. My back ached from overbaking, and my feet hurt from overstanding. I took ibuprofen and went to bed late.

What I didn’t do:
…remember that it was the day of the winter solstice.
…remember that there was a full moon behind the clouds in the night sky.
…appreciate and enjoy the moment at which my planet turned its back on the shortening of days and began the slow walk back toward spring.

I missed the moment.

Resolution: Try to be more present in my own world.
Resolution: Breathe.