by Jim Dickens December 20, 2023
Somewhere around December 21st, is the darkest day in the northern hemisphere. Cloudy with low sun angle and the latest sunrise and earliest sunset characterize that day. There are many traditions and religious holidays old and new that brighten these dark days. I think a lot of it is by design. Reflecting back on 2023 in these dark days, the uplift I get comes from a different direction, my wife, Lori. She is the brightest light on the darkest day.
Our two sons got married this year and marriage has occupied a large amount of thought space. My opinion is that marriage is almost always your most important relationship beyond children and parents. You will spend more time with your spouse than any other human. You are tied legally together so that all significant decisions need to be done together. Your spouse will have huge impact on how good or bad living life is.
Reflecting back, Lori has propelled our lives forward instead of holding them back. She has taken joy in my joy as we have traveled the world this year. She was game to do things she didn’t think she would do like riding a helicopter on to a glacier then mountaineering on it. She sent me on fishing trips and was happy when I had a good one. She tried to see things from my perspective as we decided how to participate in weddings. Lori is the spouse who builds you up instead of dragging you down.
In these dark days, spending time with Lori is what brightens them most.
R1T Tour 