“November silently sneaks up on us, catching our senses by surprise. Outside, silvery grey shafts reveal a familiar landscape stripped of pretence. Behind closed doors, glowing amber fires shed light upon the real. Like a woman who has found her authenticity, November’s beauty radiates from within.”
-Sarah Ban Breathnach
November did sneak up on me, especially this year. It was a tremendous summer, one of my best yet, and the warm weather lingered well into Fall. It was only when I was on my daily walk on Saturday trying to catch a ray or two of sunshine when I realized that it was so cold my fingers were too stiff to type and my ears were numb. It seems like only yesterday that I was on a patio somewhere with my friends!
I am a person who really struggles with winter. I dislike the cold, play no winter sports, and hate how it gets dark outside so early. Reading the passage above, from the book Simple Abundance, was comforting in that it reminded me of the flip side of these dark months: we can use them to work on cultivating our inner, private lives. We can relish the warm light of our homes behind closed doors. We can respect the energy shift of this new season instead of fighting it.
This year, although apparently I have some kind of identity attachment to hating winter that I feel like clinging to, I am choosing differently. I choose to embrace these winter months.
Some practical resolutions for myself this season:
I will not complain about the cold. I will not complain about the darkness. I will not complain about the cold!
I will keep my lighter handy and try to light candles every day.
I will dress more warmly. I will invest in winter layers in order to dress more warmly.
I will go outside for a walk every day.
I will take lots of hot bubble baths.
I will take my daily vitamin D!
I will read books about loving winter.
I will up my hygge game at home as much as possible. I even started a Pinterest board to inspire me.
I will cuddle with my cat more often.
I will let myself take naps.
I will make cozy winter recipes and cozy winter drinks.
I will plan winter adventures despite the cold. I will not complain about the cold!
Do you have tips for embracing winter? Teach me your ways!! If you need me I’ll be over here reading this post and trying to become a Winter Person. And this post. And this one.