Posted by Michael Finkelstein | March 17th, 2018

I Love Winter

There are many reasons I love the season of winter. I love the crisp cold air, the incredibly clear blue skies, the sound of the wind howling through leafless trees, the smell of the fireplace and the cozy warmth of the hearth. But, above all else, I truly love the winter because of the spring that follows–eager with anticipation, I track the sun’s journey as each day grows longer from the Solstice nadir. Now as we come close, I can begin to smell the earth again, as the thaw begins. Dreams of flowers, birds and butterflies wake me up in the early morning. And, the occasional (and I mean occasional here in the Northeast) warm breeze caresses my skin. Indeed, in its own right, winter has its beauty, but the darkness of the season leads me to appreciate the light even more. Winter reminds me to embrace the entirety of it all.

The same is true for our challenges–winters of a sort, that we also endure; slowed down by nature’s force, allowing us the time to attend to details, passed over during faster times of the year. In this way, each year, by design, we release and are refreshed. And, we make it through, even though it is often long and hard. Life is like that, ups and downs, curvy roads without clear end. Our experience teaches us to be patient and to remain hopeful. Though we can’t rush the release, any more than we can speed up the sun’s ascent, we can trust and remain faithful to our own process, our own nature, with its own seasons.

So, on the day of this moon, with the Vernal Equinox fast approaching, I look both forward and back, tranquil with the peace of this knowing; and with gratitude. And to you the same.

Mitakuye Oyasin,
Michael