Happy Summer Solstice, all.

This day, where solstice is recognized officially at 8:26 a.m. here on the east coast, signifies the moment when the sun is farthest from the earth. It is the “longest day” of the year, and beginning at 8:27 a.m., we begin our six-month descent into the winter solstice, where the sun stands still once again and we are left with the prospect of a retun to light, a return to longer days.

This day is a celebration of life, of sol, of all that the sun may give us in its infinite energy and light. It is a day to be grateful, where we peak with celebration on a day that affords us more light than any other day in the calendar.

It is a day to rejoice life.

On this day when the sun stands still, it is hard to imagine that such a feat can happen when so many other things seemingly swirl frantically all around me: cancer and other health issues with my mother and my sister, major changes at my school with colleagues I have worked with daily since 2003, relationships, friends…every direction in which I turn, nothing is still.

Yet, Sol finds it possible twice a year to stand still regardless of all that is occurring. It teaches us that, amidst chaos and uncertainty, we all have the capability and the right to slow things down, even stop the madness if but for a single moment, and earn the right to make a choice to turn things around. Change direction. Change the way we see and perceive the energy swirling around us.

This is a good time for solstice. May all of us seize such a moment and make it work for us; may all of us see that change is necessary and, therefore, can be embraced simply for what it is: a moment where the our lives stand still, the murky waters settle, and we are left with the brilliance of clarity and direction.