Winter Seasons

Did you know Greenland experiences winter conditions for the majority of the year? Heard about a city called Longyearbyen in Norway? This city experiences an average of 111 consecutive days without sunlight. Its something about the winter season that gives many people a dreary outlook. This past winter has definitely done a number on me; it has felt like one of the coldest winters that I have experienced since being in the Atlanta area. My negative feelings about winter were compounded by the everyday pressures and issues that were stacking up against me. What was the correlation between the winter season and my present issues? The biggest correlation between the two was that the winter season represents the current season of life that I am in. When winter sets in, you typically don’t see the growth of crops and plants, but instead, you see the death of things around you. This goes for the other things as well; business may slow down for some, money gets tighter around the holidays, and/or an increase in sickness amongst family and friends. For me specifically, it feels as if I have been in the winter season for quite some time. Business has been slow, funds have been low, and in all honesty, sometimes it feels like I am letting my family down. And that in turn makes me feel down. You can be in expectation of a big break, a new job, a new relationship, etc and yet still be facing your everyday reality. When will this season end?! This winter has gone on long enough; we want spring and summer! You see, we are expecting better in the next season because our current one has become quite garbage. And yet an old quote comes to mind: One man’s trash is another man’s treasure. Let's rephrase it: One man’s winter is another man’s spring. What does that mean? Let's go back to the city of Longyearbyen; many citizens embrace the extremities of the winter season. They plan their lives around it, going without sunlight and dancing in the moonlight. They can’t change the season; they change their response to it. How should I respond to the winter season that feels long? Its hard to choose joy and happiness all the time when you are in a bad headspace and tough financial spot. But if I succumb to the dreariness of the winter seasons, that outcome will result in the death of dreams, relationships, and goals. There is no such thing as an easy life, for we all go through seasons that take us through highs and lows. Winter is one of those seasons that may tend to last long at times, but how are you going to respond to it? As for me, I have learned these 3 concepts about winter seasons. The first concept, the struggle is real, and I don’t need to ignore or avoid the seriousness of it. The second concept is that although one or a few things are going badly, that doesn’t mean everything is following suit. There are things going well, and they need acknowledgement as well. The third and final concept is that growth happens in the winter. Remember earlier when I mentioned plants and flowers are dying all around. Well, I intentionally wrote an inaccurate statement. The truth is, the plants, flowers, and trees are shedding much of their exterior foliage and conserving energy to keep the roots strong. While seeming dormant, nature is fortifying its foundation in the roots. Growth is still happening in all of us when we choose to continue the journey through the winter season. Continue the journey even when you don’t see an end in sight. This, by far, may be the hardest concept to grasp and walk with because it is everyday life. And yet I choose this concept over the latter, because I know that even when I don’t see the end of winter, I know that seasons change.