My love for and amazing relationship with winter...

Peaceful. Quiet. Serene. These are just a few words that pop into my head when standing outside on a cold night under the clear dark winter sky. Nothing but a few constellations to be seen. Two days out from the shortest day of the year and its the exact kind of weather that I desire and that I love so much about winter.

Reflective. Releasing. Two more words that come to mind when thinking about what our bodies naturally want to do in winter - with less light in the day it gives more time to be inside , be with others, be with yourself. It's why I cherish so much celebrating New Years Eve in a solitary way. If I am truly to be bringing in the new year in such a dark, cold time of year - then what should I actually be working and reflecting on: Whats happenign on the inside of me or whats happening on the outside of me. What people can see or what people can't see if just meeting me for the first time or seeing me in a photograph? We should be reflecting on our lives - where we are in the present and where we were a year ago and how do we feel about this present moment or stage in our lives.

There is something about the stillness that I love the most about the winter. Everything just stops - in nature anyways - everything just stops moving or moving less - unless they are migrators like the Canadian goose - but the Cardinal stays. The Bald Eagle stays. The Red Hawk stays. THe Great Horned Owl stays. These were things I was reminded of today - As I was trail running at 23F this morning, I noticed every single small bit of movement - which means I noticed every single bird - all the ones just mentioned. If you have never gotten into birding or watching birds or been captivated by them yet - well, winter might be the time to start looking at them up closely. What is the thing that keeps a bird here - an animal that can move with the most powerful element in the world: the Wind.

Go out to the winter day or night and feel it's wind, see it's stillness, hear it's quiet and feel - all over - it's peacefulness that it brings to you. See how it makes you feel strong when you walk against it and through it. Feel it's lack and ability to return at any moment. It's unpredictability (without meteorologists that is). It is what we all hope for in ourselves and in our relationship with others when our minds bring them to conscious thought: Peacefulness. Stillness. Quiet. Reflective. Serene. Releasing (lack of extreme attachment). and Beautifully Unpredictable.

The Winter Wind <3