Listening to Winter

Our agrarian ancestors were wise to heed the seasons. They knew that winter wasn’t a time for planting, growing, or harvesting. They knew it was impossible to productive all year. We can learn from them by listening to winter, accepting its gifts of darkness, quiet, and dormancy.

So as the days darken, skip the holiday parties and come home at the end of a workday. Curl up with a book or a show. Pull out old photos and remember happy times. Take time to write up a record of the year: for yourself, or maybe as your annual newsletter.

Winter is a time to go down deep. It’s not time yet to launch new endeavors or make a big new push. It’s time for hot cocoa and mulled wine, for puzzles and board games, for skiing and snowshoeing. It’s time to turn inward.

Let the darkness in. Let yourself feel sad and mourn what was lost and what could have been. Snuggle up in a blanket and go out bundled up in the warmest and softest clothes you can afford. Say no to speed. Say yes to slow.

Lean into what the earth provides. Eat seasonal foods. Make old family recipes. Let the traditions of the ancestors fortify you. Taste and remember who you are and where you came from.

Greet Death like an old friend. Remember that your days are numbered. Your life has a spring, summer, fall, and winter. One day you will sleep never to wake. Accept this reminder of your own mortality.

Spring will come soon. Dream of the things that could be in the new year. Hope for new beginnings, fresh starts, and clean slates. Imagine what will come of all the seeds you have planted. Let your mind expand with possibility as you wait.

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