Cold Winter Days--A Paragraph a Day

Winter, a lingering season, is a time to gather golden moments,
embark upon a sentimental journey, and enjoy every idle hour.

John Boswell


I like to be active, and I like to be doing something.  I don't feel terribly stressed if I'm not, but it's just what I like to do, and how I like to be.  So when I finish work in the afternoon and I come home and the cold winter weather forces me to stay inside, not doing what I might have liked to do, it can be kind of frustrating.  Over the course of time, though, I've learned to accept these days for exactly what they are--they're kind of a gift, an opportunity for me to relax and to enjoy an afternoon that I probably wouldn't have enjoyed otherwise because it's simply too cold and windy and raw and bitter out.  It used to be that I might even have felt a bit of guilt for not going outside to get something done, but I'm past that now.  I can now simply enjoy the down time, the quiet time, the rest and relaxation.  I don't always need to be doing something and accomplishing something, and sometimes a nice quiet afternoon on the couch can be the best thing for me, especially when it's cold and windy outside and the house is nice and cozy and comfy.  I'm very fortunate to have a home that I love, where I feel comfortable and where I can enjoy such a day in warmth and comfort and coziness.  It really is an amazing blessing.

Winter Guilt, Sort of--A Paragraph a Day

Winter, a lingering season, is a time to gather golden moments,
embark upon a sentimental journey, and enjoy every idle hour.
-John Boswell

As odd as it sounds, sometimes I feel guilty in the winter.  Not for anything bad that I've done, but because I spend so much time doing so little.  I'm a pretty active person by nature, but winter is a season during which I feel the desire to hunker down and enjoy the intimacy of the indoors and not have tons of things planned to do.  I'm still fairly active--I still go running, I still do work around the house, I still go for walks--but not nearly as active as I am in the warmer months.  I'm not a winter sports person, and that's fine.  I like to sit down and play a few games of chess online, or read a good book, or take a nap.  I'm fortunate that I don't really feel guilty about not doing things, because if I did, winter would bring out tremendous guilt feelings.  Instead, I do my best to enjoy the down time, to make the most of the time that I can relax and feel fine just sitting here with a cup of coffee or tea or cocoa and a good book or a computer.  We still have a few weeks of winter left, and I hope that I'm able to enjoy them and all that they bring, as much as I possibly can!