It’s all in the way you look at it. Winter. The season of snow, wind and cold. Living in Rochester, New York, I’ve learned that unless you embrace the winter with open arms (preferably covered in a warm down jacket), the long season will wear you down both mentally and physically. We’ve been lucky this year to have a blanket of snow already covering our yards and roof tops. The holiday season feels right with the glistening white beckoning out the window. The last two mornings I’ve headed out to run in snowshoes on some beautiful trails carved out by the glaciers long ago with friends and dogs in tow. The sun dappling through the woods and the white outlines of branches hanging low with caught snow make the park magical. I was thinking as I huffed and puffed along the trail today that most people wouldn’t realize that it was sunny outside being trapped indoors at work or choosing a gym workout instead of facing the elements. I am always taken by surprise when going up a ski lift or trudging through a trail to find that it is so easy to be outside in the winter, that it’s fun and makes you feel alive when taking advantage of what mother nature has created for us. It might be easy to moan and groan about the weather. It might be easy to hibernate the winter away by staying indoors as much as possible, but life is too short. Wouldn’t it be better to throw on wool socks and head outside to appreciate the moment and capture the beauty of what life is about.
The Dalai Lama once said, “Happiness is not something ready made. It comes from your own actions.”
Get outside and enjoy the happiness of winter everyone!
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December 9, 2010 at 12:25 pm
Renée A. Schuls-Jacobson
Cannot wait to go skiing! 😉 Right now the white stuff is beautiful and fresh and white. It’s when it’s still lingering in February or March or (glurg!) April that I start to think enough is enough. Thanks for the reminder that we are fortunate to have four beautiful seasons!
December 10, 2010 at 6:49 pm
karmaspot
Once the snow turns gray it gets harder to see its beauty. I love the midwinter thaw that sometimes occurs. I think its when I start anticipating spring and then it snows that I begin to resent it a bit. I guess it is all about being in the moment!
December 9, 2010 at 2:33 pm
Vanessa Brown
I am glad for your writing and encouragement! Your are so right about getting out there….there is beautiful, magical glistening to be witnessed…and adventure!
December 10, 2010 at 6:52 pm
karmaspot
I often try to see things from the perspective of my kids. The first snow and my daughter flew out the door in the morning to sled. There wasn’t even a full layer of snow down yet and she was enjoying every moment and saw it as you said, an adventure.