When I was a child someone once told me that in Winter, the earth goes to sleep, just like the bears, until Spring. In my mind's eye I saw all the flowers and the trees curl up and close their eyes, a smile on their faces, dreaming of sunshine and blue skies again. Much later, when I took up gardening and was captivated once more by the magic of nature, I often wondered if there wasn't some truth to that tale. Perhaps the earth does, in part, go to sleep so it can recharge its batteries and indulge in a little bit of extreme self-care of its own. I wonder what it dreams about?
What would we all dream about if we could curl up under a warm blanket, with a fire roaring in the hearth, and sleep away the cold and darkness of winter? Would we dream of waking up to a world that was clean, fresh and new? Would the darkness of the season, as well as the darkness in the hearts of men, be gone as well? Would the world be filled once again with the hope of a fresh, new beginning, or with any hope at all?
Sometimes it's hard to imagine that kind of a world, and during the darkness of winter it is even harder. The love and joy of the holidays that just passed seem to disappear under a blanket of "business as usual," just like the earth outside our windows lies buried under a blanket of snow. So what can we do to wake up? We can turn on the light. We can turn up the light. Just like putting in a stronger light bulb in your lamp to make a room brighter, we can turn up the amps on our spirits. Let your hopes and dreams be seen. Don't bury them under a blanket of hopelessness and despair. Let your own light help light the way for others. Even on the darkest night, the moon still finds a way to shine so we can see our way on the path.
This winter, instead of hibernating and dreaming of Spring, let's wrap a warm coat of courage around us and tell Winter to "bring it on!" And don't forget those new boots and mittens you got for Christmas. The metaphorical snow could get deep, but you got this!
And so it is.
