Lesson Learned - I Hate Winter



For quite some time, I hated Winter. Winter, to me, was the symbol for the upcoming Christmas season, a time when simple drives would become encumbered by ice and/or snow on the streets. A time when you're so cold that your fingers go terribly numb and all you want is a very hot cup of tea or hot chocolate. I hated having to deal with ice storms in the South; when two flakes of snow appeared, everyone went into a panic. When I moved to Colorado, I realized that the Winter I had previously experienced in the South was nothing compared to the Winter out here. Snow is a big deal out here and when it hits, it HITS. My neighbourhood is still under some of the snow from our last storm and the melting is slowly yet surely happening. I hate the thought of driving in the snow because I don't have a truck. I don't have an SUV. I have a Toyota Corolla, and an old one at that. I really, truly hated Winter. Today changed all of that. As I enjoyed a cold walk around the lake near where we live, I began to take photos (above and below). I began to notice the quiet created by the white fluffy snow. I began to realize that this was not a time of death but rather of sleeping. Preparing. Resting. The mountains are covered in snow and I found myself gazing at them several times in wonder and awe. Many people see bare trees and think that the tree is dead. No, it isn't. It's sleeping and getting ready for another year of showing off its foliage to us lucky humans. This is a time when we can huddle under our blankets with many good books or movies or board games and enjoy each other. Or, we can enjoy some solitary peace and quiet while drinking a hot cup of hot chocolate or matcha. This is when we release that breath we've been holding for three seasons due to stress, being overwhelmed, anxiety, and so on. We can finally breathe and see our breath stream from our mouths like a sleepy dragon. After I finished my walk, I returned home for lunch and a hot cup of Earl Grey tea under the same quiet from outside. It's time to recharge, release that breath, and renew ourselves. It's time for Winter. And no, I don't hate it any longer. 

Lesson Learned.





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