Thank you for this lovely reflection. I adore all of the suggestions. We often think of how to "get through" winter, but you remind us that we can experience winter instead of enduring it.
Your comment makes me happy, thank you! With all these "life hacks" that often put even more pressure on us, I was hoping that my suggestions would be more like gentle invitations. Wishing you a winter full of mindful and joyful moments, moments of truly feeling alive (I just saw your latest note and absolutely love it, as it is so true "We’ve Optimized Everything. Feeling Alive Didn’t Make the List.") and glimmers to shine a light in the dark. 💛
This process of burrowing into winter is such a necessity for replenishing our souls. How sad that you feel guilty when you get into bed early to read and rest. I am the same, but so much better with it now as I get older. You’ve offered many thoughts to ponder and a lovely list to follow. I love your rich and soulful writing Christine. Thank you for sharing.
Thanks so much, Alegria. Yes, definitely, I have gotten much better now about feeling guilty. I think it is something I was conditioned to very early on, thinking I had to be productive and perfect to be good enough, and loveable. But with age, I feel it is more important to me what my heart asks me for, and following my own compass, questioning what I have learned. I recall somebody writing "Learning. And unlearning." This is my process too. You are an inspiration, especially with your beautiful postcard prompts. Cheers to resting and enjoying without guilt!
I think many of us suffer from that conditioning. And I have also suffered from people pleasing. That magnifies the guilt. It’s amazing how we can come full circle as we age. I have no regrets and no guilt any longer. It is about “learning and unlearning.” And it is massively liberating. You enjoy too! Thank you! 💕
Thank you for your reflections around winter season Christine. I love this time of the year but I also often feel a bit sad, emotional and melanchonic. I do very very little christmas shopping. I enjoy cozy time indoor, and as always walk in Nature. Nature gives me the peace I need to calm down the sadness. I love taking images , journaling, drawing and bake. Baking is like therapy to me. Enjoy Winter, take care and Frohe Weinachten Christine☃️❄️💙🎅🏻
Thank you, Tony, for your lovely words and for sharing how you spend the season🧡✨ I can relate. I also tend to stay away from christmas shopping. Perhaps sadness swirls up naturally sometimes, maybe even magnified by the bareness of nature, but perhaps even more so by (at least for me) missing loved ones and the busyness around me. Walks in nature are always so important for me too, and bring me back to the present instead of ruminating on the past or future. I love that baking is like therapy to you! I also often feel it is a moving meditation and I have tried a few new recipes so far. Do you have some favourites? Wishing you just as much joy and comfort (if not more) as melancholy this winter, and that the natural world will feel like a warm hug, just as vanilla and cinnamon swirling in the air when you are baking.
I also miss loved ones that have long been passed away . I do have in my mindset to do my best to rewire my brain to positive and joy. My favorite baking is a chocolate cake my son really love. I always bake for his birthday since he was a little kid, now he is 33 years old😀
Thank you for this lovely reflection. I adore all of the suggestions. We often think of how to "get through" winter, but you remind us that we can experience winter instead of enduring it.
Your comment makes me happy, thank you! With all these "life hacks" that often put even more pressure on us, I was hoping that my suggestions would be more like gentle invitations. Wishing you a winter full of mindful and joyful moments, moments of truly feeling alive (I just saw your latest note and absolutely love it, as it is so true "We’ve Optimized Everything. Feeling Alive Didn’t Make the List.") and glimmers to shine a light in the dark. 💛
This process of burrowing into winter is such a necessity for replenishing our souls. How sad that you feel guilty when you get into bed early to read and rest. I am the same, but so much better with it now as I get older. You’ve offered many thoughts to ponder and a lovely list to follow. I love your rich and soulful writing Christine. Thank you for sharing.
Thanks so much, Alegria. Yes, definitely, I have gotten much better now about feeling guilty. I think it is something I was conditioned to very early on, thinking I had to be productive and perfect to be good enough, and loveable. But with age, I feel it is more important to me what my heart asks me for, and following my own compass, questioning what I have learned. I recall somebody writing "Learning. And unlearning." This is my process too. You are an inspiration, especially with your beautiful postcard prompts. Cheers to resting and enjoying without guilt!
I think many of us suffer from that conditioning. And I have also suffered from people pleasing. That magnifies the guilt. It’s amazing how we can come full circle as we age. I have no regrets and no guilt any longer. It is about “learning and unlearning.” And it is massively liberating. You enjoy too! Thank you! 💕
Thank you for your reflections around winter season Christine. I love this time of the year but I also often feel a bit sad, emotional and melanchonic. I do very very little christmas shopping. I enjoy cozy time indoor, and as always walk in Nature. Nature gives me the peace I need to calm down the sadness. I love taking images , journaling, drawing and bake. Baking is like therapy to me. Enjoy Winter, take care and Frohe Weinachten Christine☃️❄️💙🎅🏻
Thank you, Tony, for your lovely words and for sharing how you spend the season🧡✨ I can relate. I also tend to stay away from christmas shopping. Perhaps sadness swirls up naturally sometimes, maybe even magnified by the bareness of nature, but perhaps even more so by (at least for me) missing loved ones and the busyness around me. Walks in nature are always so important for me too, and bring me back to the present instead of ruminating on the past or future. I love that baking is like therapy to you! I also often feel it is a moving meditation and I have tried a few new recipes so far. Do you have some favourites? Wishing you just as much joy and comfort (if not more) as melancholy this winter, and that the natural world will feel like a warm hug, just as vanilla and cinnamon swirling in the air when you are baking.
I also miss loved ones that have long been passed away . I do have in my mindset to do my best to rewire my brain to positive and joy. My favorite baking is a chocolate cake my son really love. I always bake for his birthday since he was a little kid, now he is 33 years old😀