I think it was about two years ago that I read an article that totally changed my mindset on winter. I have tried to find it so many times since then, to no avail. I really wish I could so that I could share it with you. The article was about how people that live in extremely cold climates, including those that have very few, if any hours of daylight, do not have an increased number of cases of depression. In fact, the article mentioned how these people actually looked forward to winter. As a time of opportunity, and enjoyment. A time to look forward to.
This article has really stuck with me and I think of it often. In the US, it always seems like winter is something to dread, something to get through. There are exceptions for sure. Many people love skiing, and most everyone I know likes some snow and winter weather for Christmastime. But once January rolls around and the bitter temperatures continue in February, most people start complaining and pining for spring.
I have always loved living in Iowa where we get the opportunity to experience all four seasons to their extremes. Sweet springs, hot summers, beautiful falls, and cold winters. However, a few years ago, I found myself less enchanted with winter. I was a hassle to always have to scrape the car in the morning. A pain to shovel the driveway. So annoying to have to wear a coat everywhere. And as people around me grumbled about the cold, so did I.
Then I came across this article and read how people in other countries, countries much colder than it is here in Iowa, looked forward to the coziness of winter. They looked for ways to actually enjoy it, not just endure it until the warmer temps of spring came. I felt so convicted. Here I am in the middle of Iowa (I love Iowa by the way. I wouldn’t want to live anywhere else.) where compared to these extreme climates the article was referencing, our winters are mild and our hours of daylight long. Our winter season much shorter, and temperatures much higher. Yet I was grumbling about the cold. Shouldn’t I be able to look forward to winter and enjoy it as much as the folks living in Norway, Canada, and Russia?
So ever since then I have tried to be so intentional about finding things to take advantage of during the winter time instead of complaining about its inconveniences. Instead of complaining about the cold, I get to enjoy wearing all my favorite sweaters. Instead of complaining about the snow, I get to wear my new snow boots. I get to build a snowman with my husband. Instead of resenting all the lost hours of daylight, I get to enjoy candlelight in the evening. I read many more books in the winter than I do in the summer, since I often feel guilty about being inside and reading a book while it is a lovely, warm day outside. So I take advantage of the cold to “hunker down” and curl up with a book. This winter I have started to crochet, another hobby I would feel a bit guilty indulging in in the middle of summer. I can bake and cook all day to help warm up the house, whereas in the summer I tend to avoid “heating up the house.” I enjoy more hot cups of coffee, tea, hot chocolate, and apple cider. I get to enjoy watching the beautiful snowfall and the peace and quite that comes with a fresh layer of snow at night. The beauty of the moon reflecting off all the intricate snowflakes.
It sounds like I’m romanticizing winter, doesn’t it? I’m not denying that winter has it’s struggles. Try getting a puppy in mid February. Potty breaks at 3:00 AM are not very fun when it’s 5 degrees. Ice covered windshields, fender benders, slick sidewalks, freezing rain, weather delays, cancelled flights, frozen pipes, and countless more struggles exist because of winter. But there are also so many splendid things because of winter. Ice skating, sledding, building a snowman, icicles, snowflakes, cozy evenings at home, hot drinks, warm sweaters, handmade mittens, any many many others.
I am choosing to look for, and celebrate those wonderfully special things about winter, and resist complaining about the struggles of winter. Keep in mind it is -4 degrees F outside where I am right now and the wind chill is making it feel like -22! But I am inside my cozy home, sitting next to our space heater writing this, so it is okay. I am warm. I am cozy. I am so grateful to have a warm, cozy home.
I encourage you to finish out this winter with a positive attitude. Enjoy the extra time you have to spend inside. Read more. Do more crafts. Cook new things. Enjoy the inside of your home. Work on making your home a place you enjoy. Use all the scarves and mittens and hats that you’ve got. Sit by the fire. (Or space heater that looks like a fireplace in my case.) Make a cup of tea. Start a snowball fight. Use the opportunity to serve your neighbors, shovel their sidewalk, bake them a loaf of bread. Stack up all your cozy blankets on your bed. Wear your favorite slippers and bathrobe around the house. Light some candles. Take a hot bath. Rest. I know that for us, in the summertime we are constantly outside working on projects. Winter is a time for rest. For recharging. For slowing down. Winter is a special time to experience coziness and comfort in a way that no other season brings. I hope this year that you can appreciate all the wonderful things that winter brings and avoid complaining about all the struggles that come with it as well.
