Dear Students, Colleagues, Trustees, and Friends of the College,
If you know me, you know that I look forward to turning the clocks back each fall. I relish the extra hour of daylight in the morning that allows me to snowshoe before work and the early darkness that invites us to hunker down, cuddle up, and light a fire or candle. I always celebrate the Winter Solstice, and I attribute my love of the shortest day of the year to a childhood spent in the shadow of Lake Ontario, where the sky would stay gray for weeks and lake-effect snow was a near-daily occurrence. Some people move south to escape conditions like these, but I went north, and my family used to laugh that in Maine I had found a home with even worse weather than Central New York. That was okay with me!
Because Maine’s weather is so unpredictable, it feels almost criminal to waste a good weather day indoors. And because summer in Maine is so short, I always feel like I’m trying to squeeze six months of warm weather fun into short six weeks of summer. This is why—in the midst of our hectic, modern lives—darkness and bad weather offer a respite. There are no summer guests to host, no waves to catch, no garden to weed, and no leaves to peep. The Winter Solstice invites us to stay in, cook something delicious, read, rest, and connect with those we love.
The Solstice, like a new moon, is also a moment of turning, a moment of potential. We know that longer days lie ahead, but what will fill them is yet to be created, what will unfold yet to be written. The slow lengthening of the days offers time to plan and prepare. As you gather in to enjoy the Solstice and the winter holidays, I wish you peace in the darkness and great potential for the season of awakening and growth ahead.
Sending my best,
Jeannine Diddle Uzzi, Ph.D.
President