Hello February. A month much maligned, by me as much as anyone. But I have to remind myself that the days are slowly inching longer and the light really can be glorious.

“What she would have written about was the light in February. How it changed the way the world looked. People complained about February; it was cold and snowy and oftentimes wet and damp, and people were ready for spring. But for Cindy the light of the month had always been like a secret, and it remained a secret even now. Because in February the days were really getting longer and you could see it, if you really looked. You could see how at the end of each day the world seemed cracked open and the extra light made its way across the stark trees, and promised. It promised, that light, and what a thing that was. As Cindy lay on her bed she could see this even now, the gold of the last light opening the world.“ from Olive Again by Elizabeth Strout

I read this earlier this year and it stayed with me and popped in my head this morning when I saw the date. I think Elizabeth Strout is an amazing writer. She can convey a novel in the space of a chapter. If you’ve missed her, I recommend pretty much anything she’s written but I especially loved the Olive Kitteridge books and the Lucy Barton books as well.