Winter speaks and whispers to the soul:
Don’t be afraid to turn inward.
Solitude brings rewards.
Slowing down & doing less is good for you.
As I write, Western N.C. is experiencing more wintry weather. We’ve had a few dustings of snow in the New Year, and sleet left a silvery blanket in the early hours of the morning. If we attend to the feelings it brings, it’s hard to miss the message winter is trying to send: This is a season for reflection and wisdom — make room for it in your life.
Nature sets the right example for us. Just as trees and bushes drop their leaves and reveal their stark beauty, we’re also invited to shed whatever is not truly essential. Although winter appears to be a season without growth, there’s something else going on below the surface: the soil is gradually being replenished with nutrients in preparation for new life — the exact form of which will be revealed later.
On the spiritual level of human life, “fallow time” — including more rest and less activity — provides spiritual sustenance that can serve us well later on. I’m convinced the Christian philosopher Blaise Pascal was correct when he said, “All of humanity’s problems stem from [our] inability to sit quietly in a room alone.” Few of us can sit quietly in a room alone without some guidance and regular practice.
If you’re ready to give it a try (or — if you’re like me, ready to try again), I recommend heeding winter’s grace-filled adage: Less is more.
– Rob Field, Director
above photo credit: Cristina Gottardi via Unsplash
below photo credit: Dawid Zawiła via Unsplash
