A couple weeks ago we “gained” an hour of sleep in exchange for less daylight. But if you are the parent of a toddler and infant that extra hour is nonexistent. This idea has always been so puzzling to me, but I understand the premise behind it when it comes to giving children safer conditions to go to school. There are places like Colombia that don’t change the clock because of their proximity to the equator which means that there is no value in changing the clock. The closer you are to the equator, the more consistent day length is throughout the year. Isn’t that so interesting? How geographically we can experience daylight differently depending on our proximity to the equator.
This is the time of the year seasonal affective disorder hits the most…to me. Because what do you mean its pitch dark by 5:00 PM. Add gloomy weather to the mix and that is the perfect recipe for a good “let me rot on the couch and not do anything”. Except as a mother/parent that is never an option, so you snap out of it and keep it moving. This is one of those moments in life where I wish I had fairy godparents like TImmy Turner so they could sub in for me while I bounce back.
Being a parent forces you to find ways to cope because your children are collateral damage if you don’t and they deserve better. Your spouse deserves it too, but they are better equipped to deal with the adversity than a child is. Children don’t care for how long or short the day is. They are out there just living.
Thankfully this too will pass as does anything in life. For now, I will embrace the shorter daylight that much more and lean into the discomfort rather than running away from it. In the end, it’s a gift to experience change in the form of seasons. Even the ones that I don’t enjoy. Yes winter, I am talking about you.
