Cold, Wet, Ice & Snow – beauty in the eyes of the beholder!

Winter Solstice is here! This year it officially occurs tonight, at exactly 12:30 am, EST, December 22. While often associated with magical and mysterious meaning, the Winter Solstice is simply the day in the year with the least daylight. It is the shortest day, or the longest night, depending on your perspective.  The good news is that every day from here on out, we will get a few more minutes of daylight.

Like many of you, a lack of sunshine, especially this time of year, sometimes tends to draw me into myself. I become less social. I want to hibernate. I am more prone to depression and overeating. I usually put on a few extra pounds. That having been said, I would never live any place else. No really! I love all the seasons of New England. I can’t imagine living some place where it is always warm and sunny. What is the challenge in that?

Maine’s weather is so much like life itself. Some of it’s good. Some of it’s bad. Sometimes it’s breathtakingly beautiful. Sometimes it’s down-right dangerous. It’s often hard to predict. Whether it’s pleasant or challenging it is also always changing. I don’t know about you but that pretty much describes my life right there! What is good and what is bad is sometimes all about my perspective. I can find beauty and meaning in all of it. I can complain about the cold and the rain and the snow, or I can learn to enjoy it.  Some of the most beautiful mornings I have ever witnessed were those that came after a major snow storm, with the sun sparkling on the snow and ice crystals covering the trees above.

The same has been true for my own little world. Some of the greatest beauty has come after the deepest heartache. I just have to be willing to look for it.

Getting through a year of Maine weather is just like getting through any of life’s challenges. Soak up the sunshine and the good times and prepare ahead for the ice and snow. Remember, even a dark snowy night can be beautiful in its own way.

Happy Winter!

 

 

 

Karen Foley

About Karen Foley

Karen Foley, has successfully been writing her blog for the BDN since May 2011. By successful, she means a few people read it, and she has not been sued, stalked or fired since starting it.