Winter Musings

Big fluffy snow. That's what I think of when I think of winter and that's what we're getting today. When I took Zeke for a walk I had time to think all sorts of thoughts and now I'm sharing them with you.

I know some people don't like winter, or snow, but I really do enjoy it. People say that it's the "gray" of winter that they don't like, and I pondered that a bit while I was walking. With the snow falling (I'm talking big flakes, like in a snow globe), the world was even more grayer than usual, but I found it beautiful. The paradox of sound being muffled by the snow on the ground, yet being carried to me from far away by falling flakes is truly thought-provoking. So I kept thinking...

Yes, I think a lot. I'm an only child, what do you expect!?

I went back to the "gray" argument and I found a way to turn it on its head. Yes, when you look out at the world in general today, it's gray. But if you look closer, or deeper, you see the bursts of color that abound. Surrounded by such a stark landscape these colors have a chance to shine, to be noticed when they would usually just be seen as background. The muting of color, of sound, of light - that also gives you time to clear your head and focus. That's what winter can do for you: it can erase the distractions that are ever-present in the over-stimulated sights and sounds of our lives and allow you to clear your mind and focus on the present.

So what did I do with my newfound focus? I tried to catch snowflakes on my tongue! (Zeke has a different method, when he's jogging he opens his mouth and drags the bottom of his jaw through the snow...to each his own!) This always reminds me of my Grandma Peggy. I was walking with her one day and she had me stop as we both tried to catch snowflakes on our tongue. It's one of my favorite memories of her and one that comes back to me every winter.

My task to you is simple: Clear the clutter and take time to enjoy the little things. Then I want you to take it one step further and start making cherished memories with loved ones...memories that they will recall with a smile, even when you're not around.