Saturday, June 10, 2006

It's almost 9:45pm

and it's still light out. I'm always a little startled and joyous when this happens, as it does every year. As someone who is psychologically affected by the number of hours of light we get, I start anxiously watching the sunset times in January, just to get a little reassurance that we're moving forward into spring, longer days, more light, warmer weather. Daylight Savings and the "springing forward" of the clock is cause for celebration, and moments like this are the ultimate in sweetness.

It's genetic; I get it from my mom. She, like me, would wallow in depression in the winter, and yearn for the days she could come home from work and still be able to spend time in the garden, or walking the dog, or doing any outdoor activity that wasn't possible to to in December. We'd call each other on Daylight Savings day and giggle hysterically: Put your clock ahead! Winter's over! Spring's here! Everyone else in the family thought we were a little nuts, and maybe we were. But it was something we shared that we both totally understood, and if nobody else got it, then that was their loss. Now I'm left alone to celebrate the lengthening days, but as I do, I'm reminded so much of her and the many things we shared that nobody else understood.