It's a Matter of Perspective
A southern friend mentioned the daffodils popping up. I did a quick reality check, yep, it was still the middle of January. Living in The Frozen Tundra*, we'd have to take a trip to a conservatory, or at least to the floral section at the local grocery store, to see anything green (besides the evergreens, they are after all, evergreen), much less anything actually resembling a living flower.
*Minnesota, or Minne-SNOW-ta, or the Land of 10,000 frozen Lakes, call it what you want, it's still cold a goodly portion of the year.
Winters can be so long. So dreary. So cold. So barren. I begin to struggle with my moods as my perspective is dimmed by perpetual gloom. I battle a mixed-up sleep cycle and actually require caffeine coursing through my system in the mornings. My vitamin D levels test severely low. I fight to find my motivation to get up and do what needs doing each day. Another round of creeping crud works through my children, keeping me home a Sunday here and a Sunday there, and even my personal time in the Word is an uphill battle.
And then, there are days like this, days when I look out and my jaw falls slack. I am in awe of the beauty all around me. It seems as though He painted this canvas just for me. He took the dry, barren, frozen land around me and covered it in His grace.
I'm a certifiable cold wimp. I may have been born and raised in this Frozen Tundra, but I do not enjoy an icy wind beating against my face, and yet, on days like this I am drawn outside. I walk around and breathe deep cold breaths and I don't seem to mind. My heart is warmed by the beauty around me and I know that I can make it through another winter, and that I may even look back and miss parts of this season.
Yes, I think we'll bundle up the ones feeling well enough today, and stop by the county park, with all of its trails, on the way home from this morning's violin lessons. As much as I love to take in the wonder of it all, I think I love watching my children take it in even more. The books can wait today, today we will enjoy some more of our winter.
posted by Alison at
9:34 AM
6 Comments:
I wish I could have written you about this without a comment. I saw on blog frog from mckmama that you turned downed a ultrasound with your second. i was wondering why. with our 3rd pragnancy i was told at 20 weeks that she would not make it to 28 weeks and if she did she would have downs and only one kidney. i refused to have a amnio because we had previous lost a baby. i talked with friends who had children with downs and they said there was no reason to know ahead of time. anyways i knew nothing would change in our hearts if she had downs. i was just wondering why you chose not to have a amnio
Beautiful gorgeous COLD pictures!! I would like to visit up North one day!
Beautiful pictures, even though it's COLD! :)
Have a great weekend!
Nice pictures and good post! Actually, the view out your window is so much prettier than in SC. Here it is only drab brown with hints of green. Colorless and bland. The snow, while limiting and irritating, is also beautiful. And, at least you can go out in August without melting. LOL We have weeks of above 100 temp weather. NOT fun.
I was hoping to see some MN pictures on Darcy's MckLinky -- we lived there for a couple of years and it was always so pretty in the winter. Cold, but very pretty. : )
Your pictures of the cold are SO pretty. Oh my goodness. I just loved each picture more than the next. Thank you so much for sharing these. It was a pleasure to view them. My friend Gretchen lives in Minnesota. She posted a picture of a tree like that the other day on her blog. It just takes your breath away. The sheer loveliness!
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