A Sea of Change

The serenity of winter can only mean one thing. The calm that sits in front of us today will soon give way to warmer air upon our skin, and fresh ideas to fill our mind, heart, and soul.

I have always looked at this time of the year as part of a bigger cyclical process which leads us to greater things. A time to rest, but at the same time, prepare for the birth of a new and invigorating year ahead. With so many days in front of us until the completion of another year there are many opportunities to capture the creative spirit that hovers around the spirit of who we actually are.

Even in the dead of winter there is a stirring going on beneath the surface of the earth. New growth is taking shape, shoots from perennials make their way through the cap of winter dirt upon the ground. A fresh snow actually can become a natural overcoat protecting the new growth from the claws of the winter we are still surrounded by.

A walk to the oceanside, absent of the normal sites, sounds, and smells of the warmer months ahead is a subtle reminder of the intrusiveness from the outside world at present. The gulls and all of the instinctive scavenger in each of them, aggressively forage for food along the shoreline. Locals parked along a strip of snow covered road, the screaming sounds of children dashing in and out of breaking waves, no where to be found.

I love to approach this time of the year with a sort of rewind mentality. Knowing full well I can start new projects and see by years end there is opportunity to feel blessed with a slate of accomplishments missing just a few months back.

Reflection

The winter is indeed a time of reflection for me. Reflection that will soon give way to a newness on life, a wish for a new beginning, the chance to leave older thoughts behind. This time of the year comes with a blessedness unmatched by any other time. An organic slowness is allowed to settle in. Each year the same patterns of thinking descend upon me, welcomed, embraced, wrapped in gratefulness. I am still learning as each day ahead is met by a night which is just as soothing.

Nature and the seasonality of New England affords each of us the ability to take stock of our surroundings each year. The easy part of this kind of life would be to let it go without notice. A pause though, even for just a few minutes each day, rewards the observer with the type of memories embedded for future lifetimes in as much the same way as the one we now enjoy.

Enjoy

My walks on this adventure called life are more than adequate to fill my heart and soul. Reminders to not only me but to any and all who think the struggle for heartfelt content is not within each of our grasps. Enjoy today, enjoy the moments this day has laid out for you. Tomorrow comes with no guarantee.

Talk soon…

G