Deep Into Winter
Hello Dear Ones!
Out here we are deep in winter. My family and I live in Western Massachusetts, in an area called the Berkshires. This is a wild and beautiful land of mountains, forests, rivers, and meadows…. And everything is blanketed with icy snow. The skies are gray, and I realized today that I really can’t remember what sunshine feels like. It has been that long since we’ve seen it.
I’ve been hustling and bustling about… Juggling solo motherhood, the tending of a sick kitty, and the various aspects of my professional life. Spinning plates is often how it can feel. Do you know the one I mean? The Ed Sullivan show, decades ago, had some amazing person spinning many plates all at once. You can watch HERE. This is what the life of a parent often feels like, and it is certainly true for me. In fact, I really can’t watch the Spinning Plates video without feeling anxiety start to rise in me. This is just how life happens to be right now.
We are deep into winter, and I am catching myself. The spinning plates lifestyle that I catch myself in sometimes… it really isn’t serving me. Winter is all about rest, about recovery, about making plans but not acting on them yet. Winter is a time to make cups of herbal tea and sit somewhere cozy. Read a book, look out the window, journal, wonder about all manner of things, reflect on your life as it stands, and dream up how you’d actually like your life to be. Winter is about going to bed early, maybe with a juicy novel, and then sleeping in (when you can). Winter is about adventuring outside, stopping to enjoy the hushed silence in a forest, or a flock of birds fly across the cold sky. It’s about making snow angels and sledding down hills, and watching your steamy breath in the cold air. Winter is about smelling the smoke of a woodstove in the air. And it’s about coming in from the great outdoors, wrapping yourself in the comfort of dry clothes, the heat of a fire, and something delicious to drink. This is Winter.
I remember years ago, cross-country skiing in Juneau, Alaska by the Mendenhall Glacier. This was before motherhood and it was one of those winter days of very little light. After returning breathlessly to our cars from the big ski, we sipped delicious drinks and ate oranges, and it all felt amazingly cozy. We were cold, exhausted, and exhilarated.
Sometimes the contrast is what makes Winter so cozy, and such a delight. Cold, wet, tired, breathless… paired with warmth, hydration, delicious food and wonderful company. If you are a tired person, you may not be served by being cold, wet, tired, breathless, and instead might simply benefit from warmth, hydration, delicious food and wonderful company… and quiet stillness too.
So many of us are missing this. In fact, most of us are missing out on this wonderful opportunity to rest, to delight in this season, to feel exhilarated, and to recharge before the warmer and longer days return.
I am writing about this now because we all need the reminder. In fact, I’ve written about it every year, because it’s this important. Here are some of my past writings on this (if you want to dive in deeper):
So let’s take stock. Here are my questions for you:
How are you doing at savoring this winter, and taking the restful opportunities it offers?
What would you love to do this winter, that would support you delighting in this season?
How could you make time and space for rest in your home life?
What would feel great? Tea, time by a warm fire, sleeping more, making snow angels, licking icicles, hiking out into the woods then getting really still and noticing the land around you…?
Your answers to this may be very different from mine. That’s great. See what feels true and good to you, and then try these things. Then, see if more good ideas come. Write them down and put this list on your fridge so that you remember to make space and time for the things that matter to you.
Thank you for being with me on this journey. Thank you for reading my writing. And thank you for your reflections and responses back. It all matters to me.
In deep gratitude for everything in this sweet life,
Rebecca
* Disclaimer: This likely goes without saying, but I'll say it anyway: Everything I write is for educational purposes only. Nothing I write or share can be deemed diagnostic or medical advice. Nothing I write or share can replace your own healthcare providers or your own internal knowing and wisdom. Period. Please seek tailored medical care and advice via your skilled healthcare team whenever you need it.
