January 16, 2022: Welcome to a Winter Celebration
“How many lessons of faith and beauty we should lose, if there were no winter in our year!”
Thomas Wentworth Higginson
We woke up this morning to -6 degrees with 8 to 10 inches of snow predicted tomorrow. Winter can be brutal! It is the darkest time of year, with the shortest hours of sunlight; and depending on where you live, it can be the coldest. In the northeast where we live, the combination of temperatures in the negative numbers, the daily struggles to navigate ice covered roads and walkways, and endless layers of clothing we need just to stay warm; can make this season a challenge.
Yet it can be a time of indescribable beauty, where we can take comfort in the shelter of our homes with cozy aspects like hot drinks, warm blankets and our own versions of hibernation. On days when it’s too cold to venture out, we can make time for activities and hobbies that have been tucked away during the other seasons where we are more likely to head outdoors and take advantage of the sunny, warmer weather.
Winter also provides us with an invitation to observe how nature adapts to the harsh demands of weather. Watching the birds who flock to our feeders. we never fail to be amazed at how these little animals manage to survive the bitter weather. They fluff up their feathers for insulation, seek out food, and huddle together at times for warmth. Some animals settle into deep sleep, others migrate, and the third group learn to tolerate it by adapting both their behavior and physical appearances. Fur-bearing animals will grow thicker coats, and spend their Autumn months building up fat reserves and/or storing food for the days ahead.
Humans unpack out their warm clothes, check the heating reserves, and change their menus from cool summer salads to nourishing and hearty soups. For those who don’t migrate south, we seek justifiable reasons to “hunker down, curl up with a cup of cocoa, a good book or crossword puzzle, and be thankful that we are safe and warm indoors. Snow enthusiasts eagerly look forward to time outdoors, on the trails with snowshoes, skis, ice-skates and/or snowmobiles. Returning home with windburned cheeks, the prospect of a hot drink, warm blankets and the memories of a day spent out in nature warms our souls.
How do you not only survive but celebrate this unique time of year? Whether you migrate to warmer climates or welcome it, I’d love to hear your thoughts on what makes it special for you and what you do to adapt and surmount the challenges of winter..
We have also gathered some inspirational quotes on winter for the months ahead and welcome ones that inspire you. Please feel free to share this with someone who might find it meaningful. In the meantime, stay healthy…..and toasty warm!
Best regards,
Wendy Oellers-Fulmer
Inspirational Quotes on Winter
“Winter, a lingering season, is a time to gather golden moments, embark upon a sentimental journey, and enjoy every idle hour.”
John Boswell
“What good is the warmth of summer, without the cold of winter to give it sweetness.“
John Steinbeck
“In the midst of winter, I found there was an invincible summer. And that makes me happy. For it says that no matter how hard the world pushes against “me, there’s something stronger-something pushing right back.
Albert Camus
“Let us love winter, for it is the spring of genius.”
– Pietro Aretino
“The color of springtime is flowers; the color of winter is in our imagination.”
Terri Guillemets
“To appreciate the beauty of a snowflake it is necessary to stand out in the cold.“
Aristotle
“Snow flurries began to fall and they swirled around people’s legs like house cats. It was magical, this snow globe world.“
Sarah Addison Allen
“We feel cold, but we don’t mind it, because we will not come to harm. And if we wrapped up against the cold, we wouldn’t feel other things, like the bright tingle of the stars, or the music of the aurora, or best of all the silky feeling of moonlight on our skin. It’s worth being cold for that.“
Philip Pullman, The Golden Compass
“I wonder if the snow loves the trees and fields that it kisses them so gently? And then it covers them up snug, you know, with a white quilt; and perhaps it says, ‘Go to sleep, darlings, till the summer comes again.’“
Lewis Carroll, Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland
“Winter is the time for comfort, for good food and warmth, for the touch of a friendly hand and for a talk beside the fire: it is time for home.”
-Edith Sitwwell
“Winter forms our character and brings out our best.”
-Tom Allen
“We cannot stop the winter or the summer from coming. We cannot stop the spring or the fall or make them other than they are. They are gifts from the universe that we cannot refuse. But we can choose what we will contribute to life when each arrives.”
– Gary Zukhav
Shared by our readers:
“Is not January alone pure winter?“
Thoreau :Journal 1854-
(Thank you for sharing thisSandy B.)
Liz RosenfeldJanuary 17, 2022
As I sit here on the coast of Maine during a nor’easter, the freezing rain is pelting the windows and the flag is “straight out” in the 40mph wind, your words provide a healthy perspective on what we cannot control. My mind strayed to other things in life that we cannot control besides the seasons and the weather. The grace of acceptance does not have to be limited to winter. The pandemic has seemed like a perpetual winter, but it has changed our perspective on what is really important. Our gratitude needs to be refueled by the yin/yang of life. May we all learn to appreciate our “winters”.