Dreaming in the dark

a softer start to the year

A few years ago, I decided to opt out of New Year as a starting point. While modern life presses 'go' on the 1st of January, I made a quiet commitment to pad gently into the new year.

As we come out of the sleepy cocoon of Christmas, we’re still in the belly of mid-winter. The nights are lengthening, but ever so slowly.

Until now, I feel as though we’ve been cosplaying with winter. The festive glow and nostalgic comforts are beginning to fade, revealing the beautiful and sometimes brutal path of the season that lies ahead. Snow is on the way, bringing with it the bite of cold grey mornings, stretching on without the glow of sparking lights to illuminate the landscape.

I reflect on how hard winter must have been for those who came before us — when resources were scarcer and homes were colder. A stark contrast to how we live now, with radiators, wifi and Waitrose. During the fiercest storms, I think of the foxes and badgers in the woods around me, burrowed deep in the earth for warmth and …