An Dubhach; The Gloom

After feeling rather rough for a few days I’m starting to get better. I went for a lovely walk this morning and noticed that most people are looking down and gloomy. My Scottish friend calls it An Dubhach, a description of how folk feel as they head for mid-winter.

I find it sad that many are depressed at this time of year, yes its getting colder and yes the Sun isn’t about each day for as long as we would like but there is still much joy to be had from our surroundings. A walk in the woods with the robins looking down on us or a wander on the beach with the quietness after the foreign students with their constant chatter have headed back to warmer climes. Or seeing the cheer in the little girls face as she studies the dolls house through the frosty glass window, hoping no doubt to be getting it as a gift later on. One of my favourite ways of cheering up is a mug of hot chocolate as I sit next to the open wood fire, fire sparks creating patterns as they escape up the chimney, Littleun calling them the “fire Faeries” and laughing as they “dance”. We also spend this time of year making gifts and helping a neighbour who suffers terrible arthritic pain which the cold aggravates but who never lets the pain grind her down and she always has a smile and a kind word.

So when you’re wandering around suffering An Dubhach don’t worry, before long the light will return and in the meantime just look a little harder past the grimy dirt of Winter coming and see the hidden joys..