I'm talking about snow.
Those of you who know me know for a fact that I love sunshine. I love the sea and the sand and tropical fruit. But living in Northern Ohio is teaching me some things. One, as much as I dread winter driving, I have to see some positives about the season - beyond the everyday excuse to make old-fashioned hot chocolate (not that I need any excuse for that, anyway). I have to learn to like the snow, even just a little. Because I'll be staying here for a little while longer.
Second, there's a certain kind of quiet that goes along with winter. The kind that encourages you to pause, reflect, and feel grounded. To slow down amidst the busy holiday rush. After the heated excitement of summer, the changes and transitions in the fall, comes the silent retreat of winter.
Today, after a few days of staying indoors and working, I attempted to take a walk. So I bundled up (read: running tights, with leggings under the running tights, tank top, turtleneck top, lightweight jacket, then the outer heavier coat, hat, gloves, scarf, 2 pairs of socks) and walked around my neighborhood. It had stopped snowing after we had maybe 12 inches dumped on us over the past several days. And, the sun was shining!
Which made the snow actually sparkle. The rays of the late afternoon sun reflected on the snow like millions of little crystals. It was amazing. I wish I could say I was able to capture it in photos, but I couldn't quite approximate it.
Now this is not some earth-shattering discovery. I'm sure you (meaning you who live in places that get snow, or have seen snow) have seen snow sparkle before. But for some reason, despite year after year of experiencing snow, seeing the sun shine after a snow storm makes it seem like the first time every time.
There's the magic of nature.
Whether it's sunlight reflected on the water...
Or on dewdrops...
... nature will always find a way to sparkle. And wrap you in its sweet, grounding embrace.
May you enjoy the magic of winter and the holidays...
2 comments:
So much snow! This is the time of year when I'm still loving it ... come February, I'm done. I know exactly what you mean about the magic of sparkly snow. Congrats for bundling up to enjoy it.
Hi Jen! Yes, I agree with you. "New" snow is nice! I think part of the magic is the idea of 2 opposing forces -- heat (the sun) and freezing cold (snow) -- acting in such great sync. Much like what they say about yoga - energy in 2 opposing directions in mountain pose, yin and yang, etc... yet all in sync. Hmm now where did I get that thought at one in the morning?
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