Beating the Winter Blues!

From Newsday “Most snow of any January – 34.9 inches of snow has hit the ground at Brookhaven National Laboratory this month.  The previous January record was 26 inches in 1947, the first year statistics were kept there.”

Do you have the winter blues?  Are you sick of the cold weather and constant snow?  Are you missing the warm sunshine?  Well….get over it!  Okay, that was a bit harsh, but sometimes you just have to blurt it out.  I will admit we’ve gotten way too much snow this winter, however, isn’t it beautiful?!! Why not switch off that part of your brain that says, “I hate winter.”   For it deserves a positive mindset.  After all, winter can be a very unhectic season.  It’s that time of the year when you get to slow down.  The holidays are over!  It’s time to focus on rejuvenation and revitalizing yourself.  Snow storms may force you to hibernate in the house.  Just think of all the things you can get done from home.  Therefore, let’s relax your mind and beat the winter blues by changing your attitude in how you view winter and enjoy what the season has to offer.

I had an experience a few years ago that changed my attitude toward winter.  On a cold, blustery winter day, I was driving with my neighbor Susan to an adult education class.  It was an overcast day with flakes in the sky.  The snow was already in mounds on the ground from a previous storm.  We were running very late for class.  Unfortunately, there was an accident on the road and traffic was at a standstill.  Oh “$%&#” is all I could think for this was going to make us even later to class.  As I moaned and groaned, I heard Susan say “Look,” as she pointed her finger.  “Look at that branch, see how the ice and snow just hang off of it.  Look at the magnificence, the beauty of nature.”  I looked at the tree and then at the branch and thought.  Is she nuts?  As I continued to look, I forgot that we were stopped in traffic.  It really was quite pretty what I was viewing.  It really was quite serene to see a blanket of white cascading down the branch and among the various twigs on the tree.  It made the traffic disappear and so what if I was a bit late to class.  Winter is quite beautiful .  What a better way to beat the winter blues than to just stop and watch the beauty of the season.

I know you are cold, tired of shoveling and just plain sick of it, but look around at the beauty that winter provides and appreciate the nature that surrounds you. I have taken some pictures this week I think you will enjoy.  Can you see the beauty in each picture?  Don’t you feel better now??