No Rush

I love slow weekend mornings when there is no rush to go anywhere.  The to do list is there, but just for a little while it is nice to pretend that it doesn't exist.  I have discovered lately that when I rush around doing things not much more gets accomplished than when I take it a bit slower. Weekend mornings are a nice time to catch my breath and spend a couple hours first thing unwinding from the week.. yoga, leisurely coffee and some backyard bird watching before starting anything.  

I am weary of winter already yet there is much more to get through.  I miss my long walks outside, working in the garden, the warmth of the sun on my face.   I find myself more tired than usual and wanting to do nothing but curl up with a book for hours.  Last weekend I spent hours working on a puzzle in the warmth of the sun shining through the kitchen windows.  Like a bear, I feel like hibernating till spring comes.  I was surprised to see a rabbit in the backyard this morning.  Perhaps he was confused after the swift change from winter to spring and back to winter.

Honor Winter's Lesson

"See the pine trees and learn their lesson" a friend once said. "Pine trees are natures reminder that growth continues even in the winter". 

Winter is an important season in our lives.  It is more than a time of coldness and snow. It's a time of going within. A time to rest from the work that's been done, a time to prepare for the lessons ahead. Long for the sun on your shoulders, but let the frost and cold come.  The ground has been left fallow in preparation for nourishing the seeds of new life. 

Honor winter's lesson. Despite this time of lifelessness and inactivity, this is still a season of growth. Trust what's being worked out in your soul.  The snow will melt. The sun will shine again. The time will come to remove your heavy garb and return to the activity of life. 

Cherish the winter.  Cherish its quietness, the time of going withing to rest and heal.  Cherish this time of preparation that must come before new life. Cherish the hope that lies beneath the snow.

~ Melody Beattie
Journey to the Heart
January 13