This time of year, the countdown is on.

For many people, it’s the countdown to Christmas.

“Only – Days Til Christmas” is a countdown that is fairly common to see this time of year on marquees and calendars and the like.

As someone who celebrates Christmas, I definitely pay attention to this countdown.

But the older I get, it seems, the other December countdown that I also pay attention to is the countdown to the solstice.

I don’t think that I am among those who suffer from seasonal affective disorder (SAD). But I do know that the shorter, darker days that the time between the end of daylight savings and the solstice brings has been especially challenging this year.

That is because this year has been full of health challenges for me and my family. “When it rains it pours,” a friend of mine said when I told him about these challenges. “This year sucks,” my brother recently said, when summing things up.

The challenges of 2024 have made the shortest days of the year that mid December brings seem especially dark at times this year. They’re also why I especially looked forward to the Dec. 21 solstice, when the days start getting longer.

It’s not that I suffer from SAD. It’s just that darkness is the last thing I need in a year that has brought plenty of it already.

Besides looking forward to the solstice, a couple of other things that have helped me to get through this “dark” season are faith, daily outdoor time, and Christmas lights.

I’m not a big Christmas decorator, though I do have some holiday trimmings up around the house. And I definitely appreciate more so than ever the neighbors who take the time to decorate the exterior of their homes with Christmas lights that help to brighten a dark time of the year.

While my four-legged buddy Caleb and I don’t do much walking anymore on account of his rear legs becoming paralyzed recently, we still spend quite a bit of time sitting together outdoors. Getting some fresh air and daylight is especially therapeutic this time of year.

So is having a faith in a God who tells us that “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness but have the light of life.”

Happy Holidays everyone! Hope your holiday season and New Year are bright!