The shortest day is still 24 hours!

According to the calendar, today marks the date of the winter solstice in the northern hemisphere. Although we are actually closer to the Sun at this time of year, the tilt of the earth's axis creates the season we call winter. Astronomically speaking, it's a very cool phenomenon.

Let's look at this from a practical point of view. The amount of usable daylight is less than at any other time of the year. Outdoor activities still occur, but if one has to make hay while the "sun is shining", there ain't much hay being made. Seriously though, many of our summertime activities go into hibernation for the winter and are put on hold. That is decidedly a drag, if you enjoy being outside and need the sunlight to prevent SADD. However, just because it's dark outside, doesn't mean that life, as we know it, comes to a screeching halt. There is time to do indoor stuff like playing board games, reading, or perhaps just getting to bed a little earlier.

So, what's the take home message here. Each day is made up of the same 24 hours, 1440 minutes, or a whole lot of seconds. Whether you say it's the shortest day or the longest night, either way, change is on the way. As I see it, tomorrow the Sun will shine just a little longer!