winter

all this snow and cold is really starting to wear on my nerves. i keep asking myself (and matt), "so, why is it that we live here in the winter mecca of the midwest again??" in light of this, i was reminded this morning of something i read in a little book several months ago about the seasons, specifically winter, and how it can provide an analogy to the "winters" of life. i have thought of this often since. may it inspire you, as well.

"Winter here (in the Upper Midwest) is a demanding season -- and not everyone appreciates the discipline. (that would be me!) It is a season when death's victory can seem supreme: few creatures stir, plants do not visibly grow, and nature feels like our enemy. And yet the rigors of winter, like the diminishments of autumn, are accompanied by amazing gifts.

One gift is beauty, different from the beauty of autumn but somehow lovelier still: I am not sure that any sight or sound on earth is as exquisite as the hushed descent of a sky full of snow. Another gift is the reminder that times of dormancy and deep rest are essential to all living things. Despite all appearances, of course, nautre is not dead in winter -- it has gone underground to renew itself and prepare for spring. Winter is a time when we are admonished, and even inclined, to do the same for ourselves....."

-"Let Your Life Speak", Parker J. Palmer, pg. 101

i just love the inspiration here to see the unique beauty that winter provides, even amidst the harshness and lack of visible life. i love the thought that even though many of the trees and plants appear to be dead, they are still very much alive -- it's just that their life is underground and not visible during this season. i love the hope that this picture gives me for my own life.