"The way a crow
Shook down on me
The dust of snow
From a hemlock tree
Has given my heart
A change of mood
And saved some part
Of a day I had rued."
by Robert Frost (1923)
Now is the time to honor the winter season that is upon us. Her cold and dark gives us the opportunity to face challenge, to persevere, to look inward, focus on the mind and honor nature's most difficult aspects. While not so true with today's modern conveniences, winter used to be a time of survival and overcoming difficulty and challenge. Through our obstacles, we learn, grow and evolve. I remind myself to honor this, remembering my ancestors who survived through winter with little other than their own determination, will and strength. I choose to honor this within myself, spiritually, physically, emotionally and mentally. I see winter as a time to reflect, to stimulate the mind, body and soul with warmth and growth. A time to reflect inward and give thanks, a time to honor and respect nature and realize that balance is essential to survive and thrive. For the winter snow brings the source of life as spring and summer thaws her frozen crystals.
Below are some wintry photos from my time living in the Colorado mountains
The sun travels low on the horizon
I'm taken deep inside
shades of white and grey pervade
until the sun fills the skies so wide
a silence like no other
from the blanket of snow below
fills the air and brings a peace
that only the soul can know
underneath the layers of snow
awaits a beautiful world
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"If we had no winter, the spring would not be so pleasant: if we did not sometimes taste of adversity, prosperity would not be so welcome.”
~ Anne Bradstreet
And this is what I wait for every year. One of the most beautiful places on Earth. The colorful flowers, the deep green grass, and the serenely flowing waterfalls do something to my soul that no other place can do. All thanks to the nine months of snow that hold this Alpine regions in it's grip for so long. Once it melts, it feeds the Earth and she supplies one of the most spectacular places of beauty and grandeur...
“Spring passes and one remembers one's innocence. Summer passes and one remembers one's exuberance. Autumn passes and one remembers one's reverence. Winter passes and one remembers one's perseverance.”
~Yoko Ono
