Summer Solstice

I started a tradition about 5 years ago….on the morning of the longest day of the year, the summer solstice, I get up early and drive down to the waterfront and watch the sun rise over the water. Surprisingly there are other people down at the waterfront watching the sunrise, so despite my wife’s assertions that I’m a little bit crazy for doing this, there are others. Whether these people are there every morning to take in the sunrise or just on this morning, well that I don’t know, but considering they have cameras and are taking pictures I like to think that they, like me are there to watch the sunrise on the longest day of the year.

I’ve come the conclusion that there’s something special, even mystical about the solstice and I even did a little research on the subject, and by little research I mean I googled it on my phone and clicked on the first two links that came up.

Many ancient cultures use the solstice as the start of a New Year or the beginning of a religious festival. Pagans welcomed the solstice with bonfires, they believed the bonfires would boost the sun’s energy and guarantee a good harvest. Bonfires were also associated with magic and it was believed that the bonfires could help banish evil spirits. Even in modern times many cultures still celebrate the solstice. Many Northern European countries hold mid-summer festivals and homes are decorated in greenery and garlands.

I have this idea, my wife calls it another one of my crazy ideas, and I probably won’t get to attempt it until I retire, but I would like like watch the sunrise over Lake Huron on the eastern half of our state and then during the day drive to the western side of the state and watch the sunset into Lake Michigan.

But the real reason I think the Summer Solstice contains some kind of mystic qualities is that for the past two years I’ve been joined at sunrise by my son. He’s 20 years old now and it has to be something powerful that gets a 20 year old out of bed at 5:30 a.m. to head into town with his dad to watch a sunrise……that’s some strong magic

Be kind to each other and enjoy the summer….

John