"In a way, winter is the real spring,
the time when the inner things happen,
the resurgence of nature." -- Edna O'Brien, Irish novelist
It was several years ago that I realized I loved winter: the new beginnings, the quiet, the less hustle and bustle, the time to create, the comfort of hot food, the afternoon teas, the good books to curl up with, a breather of sorts. What if we never had a rest like this? Would spring and summer mean so much to us?
"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 the time for home." -- Edith Sitwell
Oh yes, "the time for home," -- isn't that a wonderful phrase?! Winter is a time for fostering contentment with that which is here before me in my own space.
"When the bold branches,
bid farewell to rainbow leaves,
welcome wool sweaters." -- B. Cybrill
I do love the chance to dress in my cozy sweaters, scarves, and turtlenecks. Imagine if we had no use for such articles? Of course to some that may sound like paradise, but at least a few weeks of wearing our woolies is a necessity I think.
"A lot of people like snow. I find it to be an unnecessary freezing of water."
~Carl Reiner
Please don't think that I find the cold easy to bear for the winter months. It's not so much the weather I love as the effects of it, as mentioned above. Of course winter gets long for me too -- but the best way to deal with winter is to find a way to actually like it, and then it will be gone before you know it!
And so, tomorrow I will post the first of a dozen ways in which I "embrace winter."
2 comments:
Well said! I have always had a love-hate relationship with winter but when I think of it, it is the weather itself I don't like.
I love the affects of winter, especially the nesting. :)
When hubby graduated with his M.S. degree in Wood Tech (Furniture Engineering), we asked God to send us to North Carolina where it is at least a little warm in winter.
Instead He took us to Holland, Michigan for nearly nine years... Western Michigan averages over 100 inches of snow a year, mostly lake affect. (Northern parts of the state get a LOT more snow.)
I found it interesting to watch how those born to the snowy weather embraced it and created all kinds of way to enjoy the cold.
One either learned to love it (except never the driving on it) or left. :)
We have seen the wild & very windy side of winter but very little snow so far. I agree tho. & love these aspects of winter - dark drives too & from work? Not so much! Happy 2012!
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