Winter is here. That’s a fact. I wish I could deny it and it would go away but it doesn’t work that way.
I’m not a winter person. Last year, I set out on a mission to find winter activities I could enjoy. It never actually happened. I thought there had to be something I’d enjoy outside in the cold and wind and snow, right? There just has to be something!
That’s a big no! I was wrong.
I guess I don’t want to say I’ll never find an outdoor winter activity I enjoy but the fact is I like to be cozy and warm and comfortable. I hate bundling up…makes me feel claustrophobic.
I went into spring wondering what I was going to do. I live in a state where warm weather is not the dominant temperature.
Finally, it hit me in early summer…why did I feel like I had to find an outdoor activity to enjoy? I know I want to be in nature and all but perhaps there are other ways to embrace this desire and find other desires that feed me during the winter months. I started thinking about all the activities I enjoy inside…
movies…sewing…reading…concerts…plays…lots to do that don’t require nice weather.
As winter approached this year, I was optimistic and excited. And then it happened…the first snow. I actually sat in front of the TV feeling the tears running down my cheeks. I wasn’t ready. I needed warmth and sun and to feel alive. I was afraid spending the winter months inside wasn’t going to do it for me. I really wasn’t ready.
After sitting with it, I knew I had to find a way out of this space. It was necessary. It’s my life. I knew that it was deeper than just finding an activity I enjoyed and so I explored what that might mean for me.
Everyone needs vitamin D and with the lack of sun, that has to be impacted so I purchased a supplement and starting taking that. I made sure I was getting enough sleep…a bit of a challenge since I’m also feeling extra tired so “enough” isn’t quite feeling like enough and I actually took a nap last weekend which is really rare for me. And then it dawned on me…
I had stopped getting email reminders to write down what I was grateful for every day. The gratitude had become such an important part of my day and had come so easy and I watched my live flourish and grow through the process but my process included those daily reminders and life got busy and I have no idea when they stopped but I hadn’t expressed gratitude in my normal way in some time. The end of July was the last thing I could find in my email.
So I am back on the gratitude track and what a difference that makes in my life. The vitamin D and sleep are helping and I’m getting to explore activities I love that take place inside. I’m looking to find something I’d like to do outside…probably with my camera…we’ll see where that one lands 🙂
What keeps you excited to be alive?
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