A Little Journalling

The semester is ending and I can't believe that I am saying this but, I am almost sad.  I'm going to miss the every day rush of going to the college, researching, and working on school projects.  Even the tedious exams are going to be missed.  The most interesting facet of this semester is my work at the radio station, which will be on respite for part of December and the bulk of January.  I really love dj'ing and learning from my experiences there.  I'm going to start taking some communcations courses at the college, and possibly pursue it.  Next semester, the radio station will be taking part in a benefit to raise money, improve the equipment, and go fully digital.  I never thought that I would enjoy scholastic pursuits so much when I decided to go back to college a few years ago.  Now I couldn't be more grateful for doing so.  I'm hoping that I won't feel the Winter blahs through the end of December and January, because I have to say that they are not my favorite times of year.  I'm going to catch up on some reading, get out a bit, and maybe learn to enjoy myself.  I've kind of lost the art of enjoying myself this year.

I finished some holiday shopping this year.  I wasn't really going to do that this year, but I looked at my father over lunch and I couldn't opt out of the season this year.  Feeling festive was really hard for me and not just because of the obvious things.  Having that type of motivation has always been a bit difficult for me.  The holidays have always come at a point when something awful happens or things have been very difficult.  That tends to change your outlook on that.  You start to have a crisis in that vain.   I'm muddling through and feeling alright about things for the most part.  My husband and I usually make a reservation for a nice hotel the night before so that we can enjoy a fun night away before the hectic day ahead.  I've already made those arrangements for us.  It's a little Yuletide gift from me.  Just a little romantic rendezvous for the two of us.

Winter

When the plants begin to wither, the flowers cease to hold their bloom, the leaves fall from the trees, and the unyielding chill appears, Winter rears it's frigid head for all to see.  Though we think of this as the period of death, it's really just a period of rest.  Winter is the necessity of life as the earth goes through it's period of change, which really goes unnoticed for the most part aside from the obvious signs.  Just as a parent prepares to have a child, the earth gestates it's cycle of life.  Snow and ice mask the once lush and green landscape, leaving a bleak canvas.  It's part of humanity to want the warmth and comfort of Springtime.  The images of growth inspire hope and the bright colors nurture the happiest parts of our psyche.  The remembrance that the barren trees will once again sprout beautiful green leaves and the snow covered ground will eventually melt away to lush green grass, is the energy that sustains us.

During the darker months, we celebrate this process of change and enjoy the hearth of the fire, the comfort of a blanket, a cup of hot chocolate, and the coziness of a hand knit wool sweater.  Venturing out into the cold can be an invigorating exercise as well.  The joy of the glistening first snow as it crunches under your feet brings out our youngest childhood memories of snow days off from school.  These pleasures kindle our inner fire that we concentrate on ourselves, our friends, and our families.  We celebrate traditions, focus on charity, and share that flame to nurture the warmth and energy throughout the colder months.  We learn from the stages of the earth as the solstice comes, the earth hits its coldest, and slowly warms.  Laughing, eating, enjoying the company of others, sleeping, and even just enjoying the pleasure of a book happens as the process moves eventually toward the Spring.  For every Winter, there is a beautiful Springtime to behold.  The timeless wonder of life abounds throughout every year.