Dreading the darkness

The end of Daylight Savings Time looms ahead of me and I am dreading it, as I do every year. Every fall as the darkness creeps in faster and faster, casting the beginnings of my days into shadow and ending them before I am ready, I have to struggle against giving into the deep sense of despair that lies there waiting for me. It can be nice sometimes — to enjoy the light and warmth of my home, to snuggle up with my family, to warm myself with hot cider or tea, to pick up a good book and lose myself in the pages, to bake breads and muffins and cookies and comfort myself with soups and roasted meals — but how I long for the light. When we set the clocks back, the sudden onslaught of darkness is shocking. This year I am particularly unsettled for a variety of reasons, and I am wondering if I can handle this ever extending night.