I don’t know about you, but I’m not a winter child. I do not thrive in cold. I don’t like bundling up and I certainly don’t like not being able to walk outside barefoot. So, when winter comes around, any depression or negativity in the air can hit a little bit hard–especially since you’re stuck inside a lot and you can’t get that sunny Vitamin D. Plus, my computer sits right next to my window, so I can look outside at a bright, sunny day and with my window open, I can write away. Sure, snow on the ground is pretty, but it gets kind of chilly next to the window.
I live in a place where the weather is weird. One day, it’s near fifty degrees (Fahrenheit not Celsius). The next, it’s below zero and it gets worse when spring comes around. You think winter has finally broken then BAM: ice storm. You could gripe and moan and complain, but none of that is going to change anything. I mean, it’s the weather. We can’t control it. You can spend your time fretting over it, dreading the days to come because of iffy road conditions or how you hate the cold, OR you can just roll with it. Make sure you’re prepared and push on because, in the end: spring is still coming.
The other day, I was standing out on the back porch. It was upper forties weather and for once, I wasn’t too cold. The sky was clear, the plants were still asleep, but the birds were coming back. All through winter, we noticed that the birds weren’t coming around like they used too. We knew some species migrated, but there was always a few that stuck around. That day on the porch, I counted at least six different species of birds fluttering about our backyard. It was a relieving sight, to be honest. Things were warming up, looking up, and coming alive again. I look forward to feeling the warm sun on my shoulders, seeing buds sprout from branches, and see activity in the world again instead of the quiet, dormant, and cold winter.
Now comes the part where my own writing teaches me a lesson. Remember when I said the weather is weird? Around here it goes up and down like its Gollum from Lord of the Rings having mood swings. Well, life is like that. You can seasons where everything is on the up and up and seasons were you just can’t get higher than one degree (Fahrenheit, not Celsius). Then, you get those seasons where its up one day, down the next, then back up again. Life has its mood swings and you don’t know if you should celebrating, crying, or pulling your hair out. When life gets that way, I hope you remember something: spring is still coming.
Maybe you have a hard time seeing it in your circumstances? Maybe things are stressful at work because of short staffing and the thoughts in your head. Maybe you put so much in here and there, that you don’t have time for a break. Maybe your friend let you down? Your car broke down? You lost your job? Or facing an opportunity that scares you, but you know you’re going to regret it if you don’t take it. Whatever your circumstances, spring is still coming, things will get better, dreams do come true. It just might take a little bit longer to see it. Like when I was standing on that porch, looking for the birds. Birds are so common that most people just pass them by, but when I stopped to give them my time, I saw species that I hadn’t seen all winter. That showed me that things would get better. Spring is coming.
So, despite the up and downs of the weather–we’re even predicted to have another snowstorm this week–I know that warmer days are ahead. Which means, no matter the ups and downs of your circumstances. No matter if you feel cold, quiet, and dormant, we can be assured that warmer, active, and brighter days are ahead. Don’t be held down by the chilly weight of winter, but breathe in the fresh breath of spring.
It’s right around the corner for all of us.
nikki diekemper 