"Finding Light in the Longest Night."
This is a win I didn’t expect — and one I’m deeply grateful for.
This winter, instead of lamenting the fact that I hadn’t completed the Christmas Song Challenge yet, I chose to do something different. I posted my Solstice Song.
I wasn’t sure what would happen.
What surprised me most was the response.
Some of my fellow piano students — many of whom did complete the Christmas Challenge — responded with such kindness and generosity. They understood what was going through my heart and how it poured out through my hands when I played my lyrics. They felt the emotion and my sincerity, even though my voice wasn’t “perfect” and my piano playing, of course, is still a work in progress.
And that meant everything to me.
“I can take satisfaction in knowing that my song touched listeners.”
That, to me, is what music is meant to do.
The song did its job — and for that, I call it a win.
The truth is, I didn’t complete the Christmas Song Challenge on time, even though I’m still working on it. But during that time, I did write a Christmas song — one that came straight from my heart.
I’ve been seriously battling asthma, and new medications haven’t been agreeing with me. I barely eked out a vocal for this song. Still, I felt strongly that I wanted to share it — even if it wasn’t ready in the way I originally imagined.
“I wanted to share it, even though I did not fulfill the expected Challenge in time.”
This song expresses my deepest feelings about Christmas — really, about the Solstice — and how we can come from the darkness into the Light with love.
🎶 You can listen to The Longest Night here:
👉 https://s.disco.ac/xjqtutiyfqkh
I humbly submitted this rough vocal with all my heart, wishing my musical comrades happiness, good health, and all the love you deserve and need as we strive to create goodness, joy, and peace.
“I humbly submit this rough vocal with all my heart.”
Music doesn’t always arrive polished.
Sometimes it arrives honestly.
Sometimes it arrives fragile.
And sometimes, that’s exactly what makes it real.
Knowing that my co-writers, fellow students, and listeners felt something — that they connected — reminds me why I write, why I play, and why I keep going.
For me, this song was a way of honoring the season, honoring the Light, and honoring the truth of where I am right now.
And that is something worth celebrating.
With gratitude,
Pamela Ruby Russell
