Night Benedictions: 365 Gentle Thoughts, Poems, and Meditations For the End of t

The day is a time of doing, a time of seeing, a time of wakefulness and industry. We absorb its vitality, warmth, and light. During the day our five senses are kept active. We are keenly aware of what lies ahead of us, around us, and behind us. We are energized. We are busy, and our busy-ness keeps us focused.

Then comes the nighttime. And with nighttime comes the darkness, the stillness.

Some of us struggle with the waning of the day and the arrival of night. We might have trouble sleeping or may fear or resent the silence and darkness. Thoughts that seemed productive and manageable in daylight seem determined to tangle themselves into uncomfortable knots as the Earth turns and the sun falls away. Though during the day we may have many friends at night we may feel lonely, abandoned. An unbidden sense of hopelessness might rise up or a sense of being overwhelmed or defeated may press us down. Often we know these sensations aren’t rational, but they are there and they can be persistent.

However, the nighttime is as much a part of our lives as day. It is as important and profound in what it has to offer. It gives us the chance to rest, and rest is critical to physical healing, mental acuity, and improved emotional and social functioning while we are awake.

Night Benedictions is a collection of 365 poems, thoughts, meditations, and other musings on the beauty, power, and peace of the night. The theme of these benedictions is consistent – the night is good and powerful, gentle and certain. A gentle saying about the inevitable, lovely darkness may help us understand the evening as the gift that it truly is, and allow us to embrace that gift.

Cover art and design and interior illustrations by Cortney Skinner.