Winter Life

I've been struggling with winter this year. 

This is unusual for me, as my body and mind are usually pretty in sync with the seasons. The change of the seasons always seems to fit my mood and life, coming at just the right time, energizing me in different ways. I realize I'm lucky in that way - I live somewhere that has very distinct seasons, that aren't extreme in any way.

I also know why I'm struggling with winter this year. I'm itching to get my hands in some dirt. There's just something about watching life grow and change right before your eyes that's simply amazing. And I look outside right now, and everything looks dead. Brown, cold, and dead.

But I've come to realize something over the last few days. It's something I always knew, I just needed to be reminded. And it's that just because I'm not digging around in the dirt, creating new life, doesn't mean that everything's dead. 

The lilac bush has buds, as does the magnolia tree.

The succulents babies are popping up, and the moss is greener than ever.

The world of nature is hard at work, we just can't always see it.

I think we have a lot in common with the plants this time of year. We may not be at our best - pale skin (ghostly pale, if you have genes like mine), maybe a few extra pounds, and all we want to do is hunker down inside covered in blankets. But it's this season that allows us to look deep within ourselves for growth - just like the plants are doing - and help get prepared for the next season, where we're given an opportunity to flower and show how much we've grown.