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I Both Adore Winter and Long For Spring
I am trying not to rush winter, but…flowers!
If Winter comes, can Spring be far behind? –Percy Bysshe Shelley
This past fall I planted 350 spring bulbs in my garden. Soon, there will be daffodils, crocus, hyacinths, and anemones coming up where the soil is now bare. But it is still winter and will be for quite a while. There is snow on the ground as I write this, and more to come. It is not yet time for the world to bloom, no matter how much I might want it to.
I am one of those people who actually loves winter. I look forward to it all year as a time to rest, reflect, and recharge. When the holidays are over and things become very still and quiet in my house, that is when I can breathe at last and follow nature’s lead. I hibernate. I curl up like a squirrel with its tail over its head. I go slow. I drink pot after pot of tea and read many, many books. After a busy year, winter feels like an invitation to take my time and rest.
Call me crazy, but I prefer cloudy days in winter, especially if there is snow falling from those clouds. Those are the days that seem most like permission to stay in, stay warm, and dream. The sun will come back soon enough and I will be busy again. But for now, I luxuriate in the lack of urgency. There is nowhere to be, nothing much to do. My…
