The darkest day of the year

If my late father had a favorite winter day, it would have occurred on Dec. 22, 2015, this year. That was the day when the nights started getting shorter and the days started getting longer.

As he got older and entered the long dark winter of his own lifetime, I think those ever-longer nights and ever-briefer days would remind him of his own life slipping away.

He always looked forward to Dec. 22. He would have a spring in his step as he got up early to mark the fact that we had all made it through one more dark winter season. “The future is going to be much brighter, no doubt about it!�...