Putting Up With Winter

This week marked the official first day of winter. I wish I could get excited about that but to be honest, the end of a warm summer and vibrant fall season is a downer for me. When the leaves fall off the trees, the holiday season ends, and everything starts to look gray, the days can get tough. I find it hard to be motivated and I just feel blah. 

I know I am getting the winter blues, because emotions that don’t normally come up in the sunny seasons bubble to the surface. I begin to resent the chores around cleaning my house, like laundry and dishes. The kids and their friends all come inside, rather than running around the yard. They can get loud and it feels annoying. And, I get tired easily. I literally finish work and as soon as the sun sets, I am in my pjs. With the short days, I begin to hibernate, unmotivated to hang with friends or even go out with my husband in the evenings! It’s not that I hate my house or my children. It’s also not that I dont’ want to see my friends or spend time with my loved ones. It’s just winter. And winter is not my season. Can anyone out there relate to this?

I try hard to become one with winter. I enjoy skiing and showshoeing….well kind of. I like being outside and in the mountains. I like seeing the snow on the trees. I like the idea of a warm drink snuggled under a blanket by the fireplace. But I DON’T like being cold, having my eyelashes freeze, or driving on icy roads. 

But I really do try. I get excited when snow is in the forecast. I like the look of winter hats and cute snow boots. I honestly look forward to spending all day on a mountain, enjoying the slopes with my family. In fact, that time outdoors in the winter makes me feel a lot happier, which is why I do it! 

I’ve lived in climates where there is really only one season, despite what the calendar says…..where the weather is always warm and getting outside for some sunshine is pretty easy. You know the crazy thing about me living in these temperate areas? I miss the change of seasons! Even though I get antsy and bummed out in the winter time, I miss it when I don’t have it. I now realize, as I type this, that I am a complex individual when it comes to my feelings about the change of seasons. Haha!

The holidays are almost a thing of the past this year and I know we are going into what I call the “doldrums” of winter. I have anxiety just thinking about going through the months of January, February, and March….until the hope of spring comes around. I’ve decided this year that the only way I am going to get through these long, dark, and cold winter months is to remind myself to feel the good I have in my life. So I made a list to reframe some of my winter doldrum thinking:

When I complain about….

…my house to clean, I think about the fact that I have a safe place to live.

…laundry to wash, fold, and put away, I think about the fact that I can afford nice clothes to wear.

…dishes to clean, I think about how I always have food to eat.

…a noisy house, I think about how lucky I am to be surrounded by a loving family.

….how much I hate being cold, I think about how grateful I am for a warm house, warm clothes, and a loving family to snuggle with.

…going out in the cold to hang out with my friends and loved ones, I think about how time with them is such a gift.

….the cold, dark winter, I think about how great summer will feel when it finally arrives.

As Dolly Parton once said,

“The way I see it, if you want the rainbow, you gotta put up with the rain.” 

I take what she says to mean that, I can’t take all the good in my life for granted. If I didn’t feel the cold of winter, I’d never appreciate the warmth of summer. And I know someday, I’ll miss the kids, their friends, and their activities. My house will be quiet and I’ll miss the days when the kids made a racket, produced a mountain of laundry, and created a messy kitchen. As I get older, it will be harder and harder to get out in the winter, to walk in the snow, and to hit the slopes. My family, friends, and summer seasons are my rainbows. So for now, I’ll put up with a little rain (or snow) and cold temperatures this winter, so I can continue to relish in and be grateful for all I have. Who’s with me?