The Winter Blues

We moved here to the Coastal area of Washington State 10 years ago, at the time I truly had absolutely no idea what I was getting into. Being born and raised on the East side of the State where we truly had 4 seasons, Spring, Summer, Autumn, and Winter, the weather here was quite a shock for my system. We do have 4 seasons but they are generally not as distinctive to what I am use to. I like to say we go from a very warm Spring to a wet rainy Winter, and nothing in between. Oh that is not to say we do not have some very decent weather and we take advantage of every exceptionally nice day we get. If you spend much time here you will even here those who have lived here all their lives complain about all the dreariness and rain. Seasonal Depression or The Winter Blues is a common problem.

The above picture is pretty much a given view for most any day here in the Winter months. Pretty gray, drizzly, and right down wet! There is a joke that goes around here on the Harbor, that we live where the skies are mostly gray. How does my family combat Seasonal Depression or The Winter Blues?

Every season has a purpose, winter is no exception, it is a time for life to slow down. Plants go dormant, many animals hibernate, a time for rest, yes, even for us. Generally through the Winter we tend to not be as active as we were the rest of the year. Many of us find ourselves indoors more, we don’t seem to have as much energy that we usually have during the warmer weather, much of this is due to lack of Vitamin D that we get from the sun. None the less, Winter does have it’s purpose in our lives, but like everything that God has created Winter is full of splendid beauty, and awesome power. Some days it is harder to find, but I truly believe if we look hard enough we can discover all the beauty that Winter lays before us.

Usually this time of the year I do try to get out a little more and observe all that Winter nature has to reveal to me, but unlike most years we have struggled with a sick child so many of our observations have been made from our windows. That is OK though as we do have so much beauty to see. Even in the above picture, one can’t help but notice that while the skies are gray, the grass and plants are greener then ever. The reflections in the driveway from all the water, which normally would be just dry and gray.

Yes, we do get snow, so to speak to those who get snow and feel shut off because you can’t get out your driveway, or cabin fever is setting in due to wondering when it will ever melt, I say take a closer look. I love to see how the snow covers the limbs in the trees, or as it warms up how it falls off in clumps. The snow is natures natural protector, or blanket to prevent damage to plants, and the critters taking refuge under ground from the freezing cold temperatures. For some reason just knowing that everything laying under this snow is actually being protected from the cold just warms my blood and my heart. Just way too much beauty! Of course what would be Winter without getting out to really explore? While we have been limited this year we have ventured out for some fun.

My mom use to tell us kid’s all the time to always look for the good in everything. My dad use to say look at all the beauty around you. Between these two pieces of advice handed down I can truly say, instead of sitting in the house feeling gloomy and down due to the elements outside, take the time to open your eyes and look real hard to see the beauty that nature has to hold. We have even had fun spending hours looking at how branches have grown on the trees since we can actually see them minus the leaves. If you can take in one thing, and hold it in your heart as a peace of beauty everyday, there will be no room for The Winter Blues.

 

Debbie lives in Western Washington where she is married to the love of her life and raising her 6 year old granddaughter. She loves to explore the world around her, photography, and homeschooling. You can find her blogging at Children Grow Children Explore Children Learn.