Apricity is an old English word meaning “the warmth of the sun in winter.” It comes from the Latin word, apricus, meaning “warmed by the sun.” When the co-owner of my group practice and I came across this word during our search for what to name our practice, it felt like the perfect fit as it is helpful to find those moments of “warmth” amidst things such as trauma, sadness, grief, and anxiety. It also seems fitting that we chose such a name for a group practice that began during 2020, a year in which it has been even more important to find and embrace moments of light, joy, and hope amongst the difficult times and emotions. I wrote this poem with all this in mind and to illustrate what enjoying and finding moments of apricity can feel and look like. What is your own personal version of apricity?
Apricity
Time feels as if it is slowing down
but the days feel shorter than ever,
darkness can linger a little too long
until some moments it is all consuming and seems forever.
The cold can cut deep
and other times
feels like the only way to be able to breathe.
It can be hard not to get sucked into
the snowstorm falling all around,
inner chaos so loud
while outside doesn’t make a sound.
It’s too much,
grief, fear, anxiety, despair,
heaviness and tension in every part of the body,
needing to come up for air.
That’s when it appears.
The sun arrives just in time
spreading the warmth to stop the chills,
chasing away the darkness with light
to bring mind and body to be still.
The sun’s warmth comes through
in all types of ways,
sometimes the brightness is so obvious
you can’t look away,
other times too many things
stand in the way.
Sometimes the warmth and light seem to find you,
and other times it feels like so much work
just to find a sliver of hope that shines through.
No matter how it’s found
or where it comes from,
whether in a cherished memory from the past
or in the sound of a guitar strum,
whether in a breath that reaches down deep
or in the laughter or smile of a loved one.
Even if just for a moment
you feel a little more at peace,
even if just for a moment
you feel like you’re free,
even if just for a moment
you can just be,
even if just for a moment
you can finally breathe,
It’s something.
That’s Apricity.
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Written by: Sam Franklin, MA, LMFT