I have mentioned a few times now that January is my least favourite time of the year and this seems to be more so the older I become. Am I turning into one of those people that moan about the bad weather and lack of sunshine that eternally grumble until the first buds of Spring arrives?….Oh…it seems so. I don’t want it to be that way though.
I feel that perhaps this year it has been a little harder on me, my first real winter in the open countryside since moving to East Cambridgeshire.
It has been long, cold and endlessly wet. A friend recently said to me, that when living in more of a rural area, you must embrace it, don’t fight it and go with it. Wise words indeed.
I believe that we should take that exact advice and use it for January itself. It is the Monday of the year and instead of hating it, have a sense of gratitude for it, with an almost anticipation of what is to come.
I was only in the garden this week and noticed the snowdrops have now come up and possibly daffodil roots (or tulips, I’m not sure yet!) – so signs of spring life are certainly there.
Yes, in January it does get colder, freezing in fact, and it is still dark and dismal outside. But on reflection, January to me teaches us a sense of patience and acceptance that we must wait for what we want to achieve for the year.
For me, it is a time for planning. I have hit the ground running so far and we are only ten days in. So not only am I planning my work schedule, but I have lots of personal things that I am thinking about aiming toward this year.
The acceptance part comes in to realising that I can’t move time along, I must wait for it to come in, just like waiting for the days to get lighter and longer, the sun to shine more, the temperature to warm up and become dryer.
It is harsher for us in the Northern Hemisphere (I mean I shouldn’t complain, I could live in Greenland!) and you would think after forty-three winters I would be used to it by now. But sometimes there is just the ease of the summer dress and the light jacket and grabbing the dogs lead on his walk with an pair of sunglasses as I step out of the door breezily, as opposed to twenty layers, a sleeping bag coat, wellies, hat, scarf, gloves, the dog towel to clean off the endless mud that has stuck to his paws every morning……but again, first world problems.
Everything must be brought back to gratitude. Loving nature and all her beautiful bounty. Resting and getting ready for Spring to jump into action, which I really cannot wait for. Just accepting that it is what it is. Sometimes we must accept, wait, be still, observe, rest, and do not rush about. Maybe that is what nature has been teaching us all along.
And to be honest, massive woolly jumpers are one of my favourite things to wear……
Until next time,
Tanya
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