Five days until the Winter Solstice. Five more days until the days start getting longer again. I think if it weren't for the distractions of Thanksgiving and Christmas I would go crazy during these couple of months when it is dark before dinner is on the table. Don't get me wrong, I love winter. I really do enjoy the cold and the snow. I love not being hot. But it's the dark that really gets to me. I have been bummed out about this lack of sunshine for a few weeks now but, as always, when I'm in need of a spiritual/emotional boost, I am given a sweet glimpse into what can be. I have realized that this dark part of winter is my sort of Sabbath of the year. My time when I have to stop running, running, running (anxiety and guilt-ridden multi-tasker that I am) just relax and see things as I might not otherwise. Tonight I was thinking that six months from now at 5:00pm we would probably just be leaving the swimming pool, I would work in the yard, go for a bike ride, BBQ some Garden Burgers, visit with the neighbors and watch the kids playing, clean out the garage a bit and other busy work, up until 10:30pm when the sun finally went down (gotta love living 30 minutes from the time-zone border). Then I would clean the house and go to the grocery store. Phew! In contrast, today. It was so cold that I didn't leave the house except to deliver and fetch the kids from school. Wils and I made Christmas treats, we played a game, and read Green Eggs and Ham. After Eliza came home we read some more, made a loaf of Peasant Bread (recipe to soon follow!) and just generally relaxed. There is something about knowing that it is too dark and too cold to go past my front door that makes me shift into a calmer mode. Is it telling that I have watched Pride and Prejudice twice this week!?
So hooray for 5 degree temperatures and icy sidewalks that discourage me from doing anything but enjoying being home with my family. The pool will open soon enough.
2 comments:
You have a much better outlook about winter than I do. I have yet to find something about it that makes me like it (even just one little bit).
This was a very sweet post and I hope my outlook will someday be as positive as yours.
Ok , that was a very good perspective :-) I will try to think about that today when the tears start (mine)at about 4:45pm!
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