Top Stories
Stories in Humans that you’ll love, handpicked by our team.
The Summoning of the Tree Spirit. Runner-Up in The Ritual of Winter Challenge.
Thank God for Christmas. And Hanukkah. And Yule. And probably a myriad of midwinter gatherings of light, food, and family I’ve never even heard of. Winter is tough, and most of us benefit from something to make it more bearable. Personally, I consider myself lucky to live in an era where frozen earth need not equate to a hungry belly, but even though I can gain eight hundred lumens of light at the flick of a switch, how much more pleasure is there in one hundred little five lumen bursts on a string? Or just fifteen in a candle’s steady glow?
By Hannah Moore2 months ago in Humans
A Winter Devotional. Winner in The Ritual of Winter Challenge.
Large, fluffy white flakes swirl slowly to the ground in a gentle, choreographed waltz. Safe and warm inside my house, wrapped in a cozy blanket on the velvet couch, I watch in silence through the huge front window as everything becomes white. The world, time itself, lessens its pace to match the cadence of the first true snowfall.
By A. J. Schoenfeld2 months ago in Humans
Island Girl Coping Mechanism For When It’s Too Damn Winter. Runner-Up in The Ritual of Winter Challenge.
Growing up without Icelandic temperatures shapes you into a different being. And this particular being put on a valiant front until climate change upped the ante in my current location with a well-timed sucker punch some years back that became standard.
By The Dani Writer2 months ago in Humans
The Plunge. Winner in The Ritual of Winter Challenge.
If you had said to me four years ago that one day I would be addicted to swimming in the hole in the ice, I would have said you have lost your mind. And if you had said I would be so into this winter ritual of mine that I would make my own hole in the middle of the lake, I would have asked if you were on drugs.
By R.S. Sillanpaa2 months ago in Humans
Light the Spirit of Winter
The winter season often holds bittersweet nostalgic memories. In the Southern hemisphere, locals will recall long winter days and a BarB at the beach, but in the Northern hemisphere, the ghosts of Christmas past are released during the longest nights before solstice. For many, 'tis the season of Anhedonia. The lack of interest, enjoyment or pleasure is a common symptom of many mental health conditions.
By Katherine D. Graham2 months ago in Humans
Easin' into the Season
The Holiday Season is upon us. Thanksgiving is barely out of the way, and the shops have transitioned from Black Friday sales right into Christmas sales. The local radio stations have been playing carols for about the same length of time. Neighborhood lighting competitions are well underway. Its a typical December here in the good ol' USA.
By Dana Crandell2 months ago in Humans
