Things get
out of sync for me in the winter months.
This is especially true when we have a harsh winter such as we have had
this year. Suddenly, without warning,
we find ourselves thrown in to the middle of weeks of furious winter
storms. Buried in snow we are house
bound and things begin to break down; we run out of food, the water pipes
freeze and we have little time for normal activities that bring us pleasure
because we are too busy surviving. We
lose patience and curse the weather and all that it brings with it.
What if we
were to surrender? What if we were to
have a ‘slow dance’ with winter? What
if we take time to truly engage in the experience? I suggest we approach winter like one would
approach a waltz. First become aware of
the rhythm. Then move in to it with grace.
The Waltz
beat gets its name from a dance, based on three steps and a three-count
measure. According to Webster, the term
originated from Old High German ‘walzan’, meaning to turn or roll. Paying attention to this three-count measure
we adjust to winter by following the beat.
Beat
One: Have an awareness of the grandeur
of winter: the beautiful way the wind sculpts the snow; the gentle manner in
which the snow falls to the ground; the way your skin tingles when you walk
outside in the blustery wind.
Beat
Two: Become mindful of your frustrations
and impatience and how they place you ‘out of step’ with your true nature.
Beat
Three: Step in to the dance and be
patient knowing that Spring is on the way
A Welcome to Spring
Greening finger caress
earth’s blackened thighs
And slowly trace the
contours of a thousand seasons.
Warming to a touch,
tender with experience
Earth submits again,
and once again.
Spring’s seed spills
in to summer
And a honey wind blows
the joy of silver Birch leaves
To a waking Thrush on
a Sunday morning.
