I have to admit that I no longer dislike winter. I know I’m in the minority group and I’m fine with that. Most people I know hate winter and count the days until Spring or plan when they’re going to move to Florida. And you know what–I used to be one of them.
Growing up, I didn’t mind the cold and snow. I was blessed with a family who provided me with a warm home and the proper winter clothes. I had an older brother and he was the one who helped with the shoveling. I loved any accumulation of snow because we not only got a break from school, but it was fun to play outside with friends and the neighborhood dogs. Our family dog, Tina, a poodle, couldn’t get enough of the white stuff. She used to bury her tennis ball in the deep snow and dig for it until her nose bled.
When I started working and going to college, I began to see Winter differently. I didn’t get breaks off from work or classes. I had to get out there, warm up my car, scrape the windshield and drive through the weather, hoping the roads weren’t too bad. It was a challenge avoiding other drivers who had bald tires or no clue how to drive in the snow. I was young and no expert, but you know enough to go slow and have a reliable car with good tires. There were scary times. And the cold! The wind! I started to hate it all and couldn’t wait until the spring thaw. And I started dreaming about warmer places. My dream destination at the time was southern Arizona. I took a trip to Tucson one year and fell in love with the desert. My January trip was sunny and warm. So, for many years, I suffered through the winter months complaining and talking non-stop about moving to Arizona.
I never lived in Arizona and only took one more trip there–this time in the summer. I hated winter but summers in the southwest were not my dream–way too hot! So I remained in Maryland. And I continued hating January through March.
But something happened to me a couple of years ago. First, I moved to western PA (to be closer to family), which is colder and snowier than Maryland. The first winter was definitely snowy, but I didn’t mind it as much as I used to. I was amused that it snowed so much! It was like living inside a snow globe! With college being a distant memory and working mostly from home, I began to find a kind of joy about the season.
There is a wonder to Winter. Yes there are uncomfortably cold, snowy, icy, short days. But those days lead to hibernation, and that’s where the love starts for me. I am now in my early fifties, a woman who is changing physically, emotionally and spiritually. A person who appreciates the beauty of each season and doesn’t wish for any of them to speed by. I listen to family and friends complain about being cold, about the snow and the dark, short days. But I think they’re missing something.
It’s not all bad. Sometimes there isn’t much snow. And snow flurries alone can be pretty! And when the snow lays on the tree branches and bushes–it’s like a serene picture. I love watching the birds and squirrels and rabbits in my backyard enjoying the seed and food I leave out for them. I love the times where we get “snowed in” because it’s a pleasant change. We can bake biscuits or make soup. We can snuggle under a blanket and watch movies or, my favorite, read. Or talk. Just be together. Winter days are slow days. They’re a time where we can step back and just enjoy whatever it is we love. Of course there’s still work and chores and all that, but there’s also a sense of stillness. Quiet. A time of rest. A time of contemplation. A time of spiritual renewal.
Every season has a purpose. Every season is necessary, even Winter. Winter gets shunned more than any other season. I used to shun it too. But now, I embrace it. I don’t complain even when it’s zero degrees and there’s two feet of snow on the ground. What’s the point of complaining anyway? Words, anger and hate won’t stop the season.
I guess I’ve learned to appreciate every season. I’m not a fan of the hot humid summer either, but I appreciate long walks in the sun, lounging on my deck and running outside barefoot.
Maybe you live somewhere that doesn’t have cold, snowy winters. I must say that if you do, I encourage you to experience Winter just once in your life. To know Winter, to know all the seasons, is beautiful and gratifying. It’s an experience you should give yourself.
Here’s to you, Winter! I appreciate you! And now that you’ll be leaving us soon, I’ll say goodbye and soon appreciate all the beautiful color, blooms and renewal that is Spring.
“To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven.”–Ecclesiastes 3:1
The Second Chance Writer 