It is late afternoon in downtown Portland, and things are looking festive as people hang out amidst the holiday lights. At the top of the steps, there’s a huge sign urging everyone to “be Merry”. It’s hard not to be when surrounded by all the festivities. Although the days are short and the weather is dreary, there’s a warm feeling that accompanies walking around town and seeing everything lit up. At this time of year in the northern hemisphere, I think of all these lights as calling back the longer days of summer. Today is the winter solstice, after all. The days start getting longer already.
