A few weeks ago, I wrote a post for social media about how our perspective gets skewed around certain subject, like how we feel about winter. The subject still resonates with me, and is something I'm working on for myself, so I wanted to explore it further here.
I have always loved winter. The cold crisp air, white landscapes, mounds of snow in our yards...everything. I love winter so much that I moved to Montana - I live here by choice. And when I moved here 13 years ago, I told myself that I would do everything I can to embrace (not just survive) every season. This is especially applicable to winters up here, where it can reach -30F and snow for 6 months straight.
Up until about 2 1/2 years ago, when I switched to a retail job, I had weekends off. Matt and I both thrive when we get into the mountains and away from town on a consistent basis. And we enjoy hiking in the wintertime because there are so few people taking advantage of the trails. We pack our snowshoes and hiking sticks and head for the hills - both for the exercise and to clear our heads, reset with nature. But working retail doesn't allow for consistent "two-day weekends", and there's always so much that needs to be done around the house that we don't always make the effort to go for a hike on Sundays.
What this translates to, for me, is that I spend most of my non-working time driving my 7-minute commute to and from work and running errands in town. I hadn't really paid attention to how this was affecting me until we got our first couple days of snow this year. I found myself grumbling about the "idiots on the road" and how annoying it was to have to drive in the snow. Matt was hunting for a couple days, so I had to shovel the driveway (he's amazing and usually takes care of the driveway and sidewalks so I don't have to). I caught myself being so very negative about winter - and this was only October! I asked myself why it was bothering me so much already, when it never has before.
The answer I came up with was so simple, but I didn't figure it out until an early morning when Matt and I were driving snow-covered farm roads in the middle of nowhere (looking for elk). Are you ready for it...?! When I'm only driving around town, to work and running errands, I'm not taking the time to appreciate the beauty. It's all about checking items off of a to-do list, which usually isn't a fun endeavor. But when I'm able to get away from the routine and the traffic, I have the ability to sit back and take it all in.
That particular morning, there was a full moon that peeked out between the clouds for a minute - and then eventually showed itself to be a harvest moon that sat just above the horizon (the biggest moon I've ever seen!). As the sun came out, it made the snow and grasses sparkle like diamonds everywhere I looked. We passed a dilapidated structure and noticed there were cows living in it. I had a mug of coffee with me, that I was able to sip and savor as the morning progressed.
Moral of the story: when we only focus on the items we HAVE to do, everything feels like a chore and an inconvenience. When we are able to take the time to slow down, to appreciate what is in front of us, to enjoy the changing seasons...we have the ability to absorb the beauty that surrounds us. We can remember that life isn't all about responsibility and that there is magic around us. As we head into the winter and the holiday season, let's try to shift our mindset even just a little bit. Take time to embrace what we're given, which allows us to be more present in our day-to-day life.
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