Winter, nature’s dark night of the soul, has been viewed in many faith traditions as a time of spiritual questioning and aridity, a time of turning inward in a search for what is personally important, a quest for spiritual union. This journey can be a difficult one, full of sadness and loneliness. Our losses can be felt most poignantly at this time. It can be excruciatingly painful as the holidays remind us of times when our loved ones were with us. The pain of our losses, coupled with the darkness and holidays, can seem too much to bear at times, and we try to cover our pain with liquor or other escapes.