Winter is not my favorite season. Even that is an understatement. I confess, it is a struggle to find joy in the short, bleak days of January (and February, and March, and April....). But in the last few years I've been trying to shift my perspective and search for glimpses of light even on the darkest days.
We had an unusually mild winter this year and I was able to enjoy some nature walks much earlier than normal. One thing I always appreciate about winter is the stark contrast of the bare tree branches against the sky. There is a minimalist beauty to a scene like this.
It also made me start thinking about how our lives go in seasons. There will be halcyon summer days and dismal winter days. There is no telling how long each season will last, but there is always the promise that "this too shall pass." In our own harsh winters, the trappings of life are stripped aside and we are left with the essence of who we are. Maybe we can hide this vulnerability from others, but not always. Sometimes the dark days reveal to us, and to the world, exactly what we are made of.
I am always fascinated when I spot the remnants of bird nests tucked away in the bare tree branches. It feels like such an intimate revelation, to discover a shelter meant to be secret and hidden. To know that a few months ago, that little bundle of grass and twigs was a haven and epicenter for life.
Unlike the birds who can migrate when the rough winds come, we have no place to run when our hidden shelters are exposed. It can feel so vulnerable when we are forced to reckon with the remnants of our lives. We have a way of building facades and screens to keep ourselves hidden and protected. Crafting walls and stories so we don't have to look at the reality underneath it all. But like the fleeting days of summer, it never lasts. Life has a way of stripping all the excess away until we find the courage to see who we are. "These are the times that try men's souls," as Thomas Paine would say.
When winter comes we always have a choice. Do we close our eyes and wait for it to be over, or do we use the fierceness to reach deeper into ourselves, to find a new level of strength and love?
Comments