By: Cynthia Litman, Esq. Pearl of the Post: Warm the Soul
On
the cusp of Spring, the light begins to appear from the Long Dark Cold
winter we've had in the North East, this Doug Larson pearl rings true
"Spring is when you feel like whistling even with a shoe full of
slush."
Old Man Winter was alive and well. He took a liking to Princess Elsa of Arendale, and on their first date ordered the blue plate special - Frozen Tundra. Mother Nature obligingly dished out record breaking snowfalls.
The elements overruled. Again. Remember Hurricane Sandy? Well, Sandy meet Polar Vortex.
Old Man Winter was alive and well. He took a liking to Princess Elsa of Arendale, and on their first date ordered the blue plate special - Frozen Tundra. Mother Nature obligingly dished out record breaking snowfalls.
The elements overruled. Again. Remember Hurricane Sandy? Well, Sandy meet Polar Vortex.
Overdramatic? Perhaps.
But every other day has been a "don't go outside because you'll freeze your butt off" kind of a Snow Day. And you didn't need to tell me twice. I seized those days to sleep well beyond the almost daily 5am call from the Superintendent.
Cue hibernation. Into the cave of my soul we go.
When the snow falls and you can't go outside, there's only the space within. Our souls mirror the trees stripped bare of their majestic leaves. I curled up in peaceful slumber and possibly out-slept a bear. Into my dreams where my shadows danced about. I swore I've long since cast off those imps.
But every other day has been a "don't go outside because you'll freeze your butt off" kind of a Snow Day. And you didn't need to tell me twice. I seized those days to sleep well beyond the almost daily 5am call from the Superintendent.
Cue hibernation. Into the cave of my soul we go.
When the snow falls and you can't go outside, there's only the space within. Our souls mirror the trees stripped bare of their majestic leaves. I curled up in peaceful slumber and possibly out-slept a bear. Into my dreams where my shadows danced about. I swore I've long since cast off those imps.
Then, another snow storm.
As the past conspires with the present, the future offers glimpses. After helping my elderly neighbor bury out of her driveway (all winter long) and picturing my grandparents in Siberia, I swore that my elder years will be spent basking in the sun. New York is a world of extremes, which is a massive part of its alluring character, but as My Sister says, "she can be one cranky bitch."
The external forces provide the perfect justification for inaction. But then again, there's always an excuse not to - kids, life, bank account, my this, that or the other thing.
While snowed in, you wonder if this space is eternal. Role Tape.
Will the mood swing? Will the light ever begin to shine? Will my body feel the warmth of the sun? Will my dreams materialize or become fraudulent nightmares? When was the last time I saw grass?
A few more storms must pass before those answers are revealed.
As the past conspires with the present, the future offers glimpses. After helping my elderly neighbor bury out of her driveway (all winter long) and picturing my grandparents in Siberia, I swore that my elder years will be spent basking in the sun. New York is a world of extremes, which is a massive part of its alluring character, but as My Sister says, "she can be one cranky bitch."
The external forces provide the perfect justification for inaction. But then again, there's always an excuse not to - kids, life, bank account, my this, that or the other thing.
While snowed in, you wonder if this space is eternal. Role Tape.
Will the mood swing? Will the light ever begin to shine? Will my body feel the warmth of the sun? Will my dreams materialize or become fraudulent nightmares? When was the last time I saw grass?
A few more storms must pass before those answers are revealed.
Bodies
grow soft. Appetites grow savage. The winter blues chills your
heart. Your peer deeper into the depressed thoughts in your mind. I'm pretty sure this winter sparked my mid life crisis. Each area of my life revealing its truth.
Let's review shall we (this'll be fun):
Personal Growth – Self Judgmental with room for improvement
Career – Bouncing Back and Inching Forward with some pearls. Still polishing.
Personal – Friends and Family (past and present) are awesome and figured everyone was hibernating as well. Felt my ancestors close by.
Marriage - Well, 1/2 of No One's Perfect
My Children – Tried to fill their beings with Love and help them thrive in this world. Together we cuddled, played a bunch of games - Charades, Hide and Seek, Checkers, Sorry, Monopoly, War, Who Can Shovel fastest and watched a bunch of television.
Culinary Skills - Perfected the Art of Slow Cooking and Soup was on! Think Coconut Corn Chowder, Vegetable Soup, Zucchini Soup (ty Sara Siskind) Cabbage Soup, Lamb Stew and The Individual Carving of Strawberry Roses for my winter baby (inspired by a Pinterest pin).
Then it dawned upon me why my annual poundage returned. Every year, without fail.
I'll re-start my routine on the very first beautiful Spring Day (which for is anything above 20 degrees), adjust in Summer (in 90+ degree days), feel accomplished in Fall until Halloween tricks me into repeating the cycle.
Let's review shall we (this'll be fun):
Personal Growth – Self Judgmental with room for improvement
Career – Bouncing Back and Inching Forward with some pearls. Still polishing.
Personal – Friends and Family (past and present) are awesome and figured everyone was hibernating as well. Felt my ancestors close by.
Marriage - Well, 1/2 of No One's Perfect
My Children – Tried to fill their beings with Love and help them thrive in this world. Together we cuddled, played a bunch of games - Charades, Hide and Seek, Checkers, Sorry, Monopoly, War, Who Can Shovel fastest and watched a bunch of television.
Culinary Skills - Perfected the Art of Slow Cooking and Soup was on! Think Coconut Corn Chowder, Vegetable Soup, Zucchini Soup (ty Sara Siskind) Cabbage Soup, Lamb Stew and The Individual Carving of Strawberry Roses for my winter baby (inspired by a Pinterest pin).
Then it dawned upon me why my annual poundage returned. Every year, without fail.
I'll re-start my routine on the very first beautiful Spring Day (which for is anything above 20 degrees), adjust in Summer (in 90+ degree days), feel accomplished in Fall until Halloween tricks me into repeating the cycle.
 |
| Misty Daisy |
Oh Spring, Where Art Thou?
My heart yearns for spring and I'm on daffodil patrol to hear them trumpeting nature to replenish the barren.
Yet that lost hour into daylight signals the mad rush to Spring Forward with all we've been sitting with during winter.
A sudden rush to be with people, outdoors, in nature and manifest a thousand miracles a minute.
Many opted to visit warmer pastures. For its always sunny somewhere upon this earth.
There's beauty in both. Like is said in one of the Lord of The Rings films (my dad will have to remind me) "maybe they've seen too many winters." "Or maybe they've seen to few."
The pearl of this winter was certainly surrender, endurance and bundling up your being. And it certainly was an experience to honor.
Let them Spring Forward!
Related Mommas Pearls Content
Frozen
Spring Fever Blog
Spring Fever Radio Show
Misty Daisy - this beautiful image is by the very talented Joe Downie, a filmmaker, founder of Lasting Vow and adventurer who's photo gallery is a breath of fresh air.
Copyright © 2014 Cynthia Litman. All Rights Reserved.
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