Happy Winter? Yes!

Earlier, I was out on my mid-morning walk with Maggie and we saw one of my neighbors on her own mid-morning stroll. She was by herself without any dog, so I was a little confused at first. People take strolls without a dog? Really?

 In January??

 

Fortunately, Holly is a Maggie fan and usually stops to give her lots of love and belly rubs when she sees her – so Maggie is, in turn, a Holly fan.

 

After a few minutes, when the petting frenzy was over and Maggie had finally settled down, Holly and I had a chance to chat for a bit.

 

We talked about the weather and I mentioned how I was supposed to have just returned from Maui, but the trip unfortunately had to be cancelled. And I joked that I’ve been trying to adjust to the fact that I’m not back with that golden Hawaiian Tropic glow right about now.

 

And then Holly said something that gave me pause. She said she absolutely loved Winter. She relishes snuggling under the covers and going to bed early since it gets dark so early. She catches up on sleep every winter. She takes it slow and easy and doesn’t schedule as many activities for herself during the wintertime. That we’re also a part of nature and it’s our time to refresh and renew.

 

Interesting.

 

I told her about my recent deliberate Sabbatical that seemed in line with what she was saying. And I agreed that it’s a good thing for us to pause and reflect on our lives and discover what’s important to us.

 

And catching up on sleep ain’t a bad thing, either. Sort of like those bears that hibernate in the winter.

 

But what really struck me about our conversation was Holly’s attitude about wintertime. She embraces it. And finds the joy in it.

 

I, like many people, am not a fan of winter. I don’t like the frigid temperatures. I really don’t like the snow and ice, particularly if I have to be walking or driving in it. And I am not fond of the drab, dreary days.

 

What can I say? I miss the sunshine.

 

And I’d really prefer not having to wear so many layers that I look like a frozen penguin on my obligatory Maggie walks.

 

But I also know that our attitude influences how we deal with life. And in the past few years I’ve also come to the realization that there are fewer days in front of me than behind me and I need to be grateful for every day I have on this Earth.

 

So I’m trying. I have lots of inside projects to work on this winter. After all, it’s a perfect time to do them – right?

 

To counteract the grey dreariness, I’ve been playing upbeat, happy music (think Jimmy Buffet and Bob Marley). I keep lots of lights on at home so I’m not huddled under the covers in the dark. And if I wasn’t worried that I’d bump into things, I’d slap on some sunglasses, don a Hawaiian shirt and mix up a batch of margaritas and pretend I was somewhere tropical. 

 

And when there is an occasional sunny day here in Ohio in January, I purposely spend time outside and immerse myself in those golden rays - even if it's freezing.

 

True, I don’t end the day with any sort of Hawaiian Tropic glow, but that’s okay since I always have on some sort of SPF anyway. Besides, there usually isn’t any exposed skin to glow up.

 

And, hey. Perhaps that sunglasses, Hawaiian shirt and margaritas idea has some merit. Ooh. A Luau in Jane's Domain. I like it!

 

But first, I wonder if I have any tequila…? Better go check.

 

Oh, and happy Winter, folks.