Winter might be the most maligned manifestation of nature. Sure, there are people who love it, get out in it, and look forward to it, but so many people do everything they can to escape it or run it down.
"Ugh... It's snowing!" or "Here comes another snowstorm..." and "Oh gawd, I hate shoveling!"
But somewhere between the hygge* and the haters lies the real reason for winter - it is a cycle of nature. It is simply what it is. In the hemisphere that is furthest away from the sun for half the year, the sun shines less intensely and allows the natural cool of the planet to overrule. Just as it is hottest at the equator, and frozen at the poles, the northern part of the North American continent experiences a cold climate roughly six months of the year. It is not a punishment intended to make us suffer. The cold is just the absence of heat.
Anyone who's lit a steady fire in a fireplace or wood stove on a wintery morning knows the satisfaction that only warmth on a cold day will bring. There is truly no substitute. As the heat radiates through the room, such a cozy and comforting feeling materializes that storybooks are written about such things. And if it happens to be a day when you are able to stay in that place for the whole day, it feels like a vacation in the Rockies or a lodge in the Catskills.
If you are able to procure or produce a steaming pot of soup and a hunk of bread, then you are in good luck.
When we first moved to Central New York from Texas, we were mesmerized by snow. My husband would unknowingly torment the young men and women at his work by gazing dreamily out the window at the huge flakes of snow falling while extolling the virtues of winter. They would grumble and complain about what a load of trouble it was. Because they'd grown up here, they had just had enough of it. "Look at that beautiful snow!" he would say as they gave him sideways glances and muttered bad words under their breath.
Sure, there are parts of the country that revel in warm weather all year round. They get the joy of paying for air conditioning, fighting mosquitos, and sweating all the time. While we trade out our t-shirts and shorts for fleece and sweats, they wear the same boring clothes all the time.
Besides the obvious beauty of a freshly fallen snow is the benefit it brings. My mother used to say that snow is 'poor man's fertilizer'. How she knew this, coming from a tropical island, had to be attributed to the two years she lived in England, or her lifetime of reading English literature. So it is true that certain nutrients are made available by snowfalls, but it turns out that there are benefits galore that winter actually brings.
Did you ever thank winter for giving you an aerobic workout for nothing? Even a short trek mushing through snow is a mighty exercise. And if you bury your head in the pillow and choose to sleep a little longer, you're allowing yourself to get some much-needed rest. Cuddle up with a book, watch a movie, bake something, play a game, organize a closet... All perfectly valid ways to celebrate and glorify the coldest season of the year.
Even though my favorite place in the world is my backyard garden, I couldn't spend 12 months a year out there - so the winter is a perfect way to wind down, regroup, and plan ahead. It also provides an absence that makes the gardener's heart grow fonder. When I have rested enough, I just can't wait to get out there and play in the dirt again!
If you think I make a good case for winter, you should hear what I have to say about spring...
*Note: Hygge (pronounced HOO-gah) is a quality of coziness and comfortable conviviality that gives a feeling of contentment or well-being (regarded as a defining characteristic of Danish culture).
Well said...but don't try to tell my husband that when he's on the roof shoveling for the third day in a row! :}
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