Finding Hope in the Dead of Winter

Snow is falling so softly, almost imperceptibly. 

Fluffy little flakes float out a half-blue sky and disappear in the white world outside my window. 

Wisconsin is deep in the frozen depths of winter.

Because of this, I’ve been hibernating.

Soon my many commitments in the community will draw me out of my winter break and back into service. It is difficult for me to force myself out of my warm home (picture a blazing fire in the fireplace) to attend an evening meeting or rehearsal.

It is very difficult. That’s just the way it is. 

Normally, I love my involvement with people and making a difference in my own small way. But lately I just want to stay buried under the covers and let the world go on with its own business.

Wake me in April. Or perhaps May.

I know I am not alone in my winter doldrums. I see people from around the world searching for hope in these pages.

It’s that time of year.

Darkness lasts way too long; and the cold seeps into our wood frame homes and into our bones.

The joys of the holidays are over, being placed in our memories to cherish while we pack away the decorations and ornaments.

Where do we turn for something uplifting? 

How can we cope with the silence that winter brings?

I say, embrace it.

I shall put on my snow pants and my warm coat and go for a snowshoe walk in my backyard, gathering any dry kindling I can find for tonight’s fire.

I will get out of my jammies and find the drive to motivate me to breath cold air again and feel alive.

Winter is here to stay, at least for awhile. We might as well enjoy what we can find.

Even in the death of winter, there is life. I watch the little animals scurrying through the freshly fallen snow and wonder what they will eat today.

I breathe air that feels foreign to my lungs, yet invigorates me with every breath.

The squeaky crunch of snow beneath my feet reminds me that we are in a very rare season, indeed.

And now, as the sun breaks forth from its hiding place amidst the clouds, the white carpet of snow dazzles my eyes with reflections of a million surfaces.

Taken at sunset, the coloring of the snow brings out the sparkles

 

Yes, Sunshine on Snow Sparkles like Diamonds. Believe it or not, this is one of my most read posts, read and re-read by people from around the world. And this winter season this post is being visited again.

Look for the beauty. Search for the unique in the ordinary.

This is the only way to combat the fatigue of a long winter.

 

Venture out, when the mercury rises above the deadly cold, and breathe in the life that awakens us to the possibilities.

Winter may be holding the natural world in a frozen silence, but there is beauty to be found. 

Search, and you will find it. 

I was blessed to watch a beautiful winter sunset at the end of my walk. That was my reward for venturing out. 

Stay warm, my friends.

{It has been ages since I have written on these pages. I hope to be bringing more hope to you as I begin to write again. Leave a comment if there is something you would like to read about. I’d be happy to oblige if I can find the words. Thanks!}