Normally on solstice I would be packing last year’s Christmas tree into the back of the truck for a bonfire at Sandy Beach. But with the minus temperatures and gusty winds, I am inside thinking about the significance of crossing over toward more light in our daily lives.

Officials from nearly 200 countries recently gathered in Belem, Brazil, to attend the latest United Nations climate summit, called COP30.

Respect is the first word that emerges for me when looking back at the 7 million plus Americans that peacefully protested in the No Kings rally on Oct. 18.