Why Winter?

It's a snowy day. Every so often, the opposite shore disappears. The lake is a steel grey. Winter is challenging and yet I would not want to live where there is not a winter. The naked trees remind us of our vulnerability as well as our need to rest and recoup. We experience how live and death coexist. I am more likely in winter to remember to express gratitude for warmth and friendship. Winter invites us to go within, to explore the depths, to prepare for spring. And winter assures us that spring will come, as each day gets longer and evergreens and sparrows help us remember. The sparrows are especially inspiring- how can something that sall survive the cold winds of winer? And yet htye do. And so shall we not only survive, but thrive.