Today, I’m thankful for those who taught me to make the most of every day.
Our days are short. Literally.
On this day (Dec 21), we’re fittingly reminded how short it really is. Winter Solstice, also known as Hibernal Solstice or Midwinter, marks the time when the Earth oscillates on its axis with a maximal tilt away from the Sun. In the Northern Hemisphere of our planet, this event happens sometime between December 20 through 23, and, in turn, the daylight one experiences north of the Equator on this particular day is the shortest of the year. In fact, at the North Pole, no sunrise has occurred since October, and, sadly, these blackout days up near where Jolly St. Nick and his overworked elves spend their time will continue well into March. No wonder Santa Claus chooses to depart the North Pole, if just for a day, around this time.
The word ‘solstice’ is derived from the Latin term solstitium, which literally translates as the ‘sun stands still.’ The day was so named years ago by our ancestors who must have been perplexed to gaze upon the sky only to notice that the sun’s position relative to the horizon tended to pause in the days surrounding the solstice. On this ‘shortest day of the year’, we are fittingly reminded that our time on Earth is also transient.
Wouldn’t it be great if we could make time stand still?
When I was a bumbling teenager, the idea that my time on this Earth was limited seemed somewhat foreign to me. With my whole life ahead of me, I did not spare a single moment pondering the finality of my existence on this planet. That is, until my favorite rock band chose to release a song that shook me to the core. The Canadian trio, Rush, is often viewed as the rock band for nerds, or even worse, ‘Trekkies.’ During their 40-year career, this low-key band defied the convention of progressive rock, with its complex compositions, its ever-evolving rhythmic diversity, and its overly academic lyrics. While many other rock bands would write inane lyrics about parties, sex, and drugs, Rush focused on philosophy, fantasy, and science. They wrote songs about the power of freewill, the fear of nuclear war, the complexities of suburban life, and even the travails of the modern-day Tom Sawyer.
Even their fan base was not traditional. At Rush concert tours (which I admit I attended on 5 different occasions), one would invariably find a nearly all-male audience eagerly waiting for Neil Peart to perform his patented 10-minute percussion solo. A documentary of the band is named after one of their most beloved classics, Time Stand Still. In that song, the band laments the passing of time and the inevitability of one’s own future demise:
I let my past go too fast No time to pause If I could slow it all down Like some captain, whose ship runs aground I can wait until the tide comes around.
Sadly, Rush’s drummer, Neil Peart, passed away earlier this year after a courageous, but arduous fight with Stage IV brain cancer. As the band’s lyricist, Neil was probably trying to warn us that we really do need to make the most of our time on this planet.
In fact, even on this ‘shortest day of the year’, one can make the most of their time. Throughout history, some have maximized Winter Solstice.
Did you know that the pilgrims anchored the Mayflower in Plymouth Harbor on this day in 1620, after a precarious 66-day journey?
Or that the first official game of a novel sport called basketball created by Dr. James Naismith took place in Springfield, Massachusetts, on Dec 21, 1891?
Or that Marie Curie, the first woman to win the Nobel Prize, discovered radium on this day in 1898?
Or that Walt Disney premiered Snow White & The Seven Dwarfs, the first full-length animated movie, today, back in 1937?
Or that the Apollo 8 spacecraft, which would become the first-manned mission to the Moon, was launched from Cape Canaveral on this day in 1968?
All these pioneers did not let the 'shortest' day get in their way of their success. So, it’s only fitting that December 21, the shortest day of the year, is also the day we celebrate International Rush Day. Although Rush launched its musical career back in 1968, the band was not highly recognized until their breakout album, 2112, was released in 1976. 2112 went on to outsell all their 3 prior albums combined and helped kick-start the band into the success and notoriety it knows holds. So, it’s only fitting that on the 21st day of the 12th month of the year, Rush’s devoted fans celebrate the soft-spoken threesome from Toronto. Rush’s ability to make some complicated compositions with just three band members – Neil Peart, Geddy Lee, and Alex Lifeson – is proof that anything is possible.
So, let’s take Rush’s lead and make the most of the ‘shortest day of the year.’ Time is a relative thing. Don't ever let it get in the way of you accomplishing something great. Neil Peart probably put it best:
Summer's going fast, nights growing colder Children growing up, old friends growing older
Freeze this moment a little bit longer Make each sensation a little bit stronger
Happy Winter Solstice, everyone!
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