Seasons

It’s January 47th here in the Midwest, and winter is showing no end in sight with below-freezing temps in the forecast for the foreseeable future. This is usually the time of year where we seem to fall into some hopeless time warp where the shortest month of the year feels like the longest, and we all lose faith that spring will ever show up. BUT spring eventually does show up, and it’s that first flicker of warmth that gives us permission to break free from the slog of winter and find hope for the freshness to come.

These seasons and cycles are like waves. Coming, and going. Coming and going. Coming and going. I’ve lived through enough winters in my life to trust that the warmth of the sun will shine again. But what I’ve been reflecting on more recently is the symbolism behind this winter season. The bitter cold, the ‘just stay home’ mentality, the fireplaces, the comfort food….there’s a slowness…a sweetness to it that says Slow down. Soften up. Indulge. Enjoy. We spend much of our days (and seasons) in “go-go-go-mode”. Is winter Earth’s peace offering to force a slow down? To hold space for the calm and quiet that seems so impossible to hold for ourselves? Instead of muscling our way through the snow and cold, should we rethink how we navigate this season, and maximize the opportunity to take. a. deep.

b r e a t h?

And ironically enough, I wonder if the ‘bitterness’ of winter is challenging us to not be bitter at all. To sit with the shit. To quiet the distractions and be alone with ourselves for just a moment. To reconnect with what matters most. To build our mental endurance and trust that we will come out the other side—safer, strong and steady. Is this season an opportunity to help us build our mental muscles that we inevitably will need to lean on when the going gets tough at some point? Have we been missing out on decades of ‘training’ by wishing winter away, instead of recognizing it as an opportunity to find calm and connection?

*ponder*…

As the final stage of winter settles in, I’m focusing on finding gratitude for the opportunity to

s l o w - d o w n. To take time to pause and reflect, and trust the frost will lift at exactly the right time to emerge, full and free.

XO

SS