Reposted by request from Fortune Cookie Wisdom
by Kristen Golden
Winter and I will never be close. Oh sure, it tries to charm me with the beauty and silence of a fresh snowfall, winking at me with colorful holiday lights, and luring me in with a warm, crackling fireplace. But as I sit inside looking out at the third Nor’easter to hit my New England town in a month, I’m bummed out. I’m sick of shoveling snow. I don’t like the cold, so winter outdoor activities don’t do it for me. My plans for today, and maybe tomorrow, are cancelled again. What to do?
While I am solid in my identity as a strong and powerful woman, I know that I can’t affect the weather. The only thing I can do is choose my response to it.
I believe that while you can’t always choose your circumstances, you can decide how you respond to them. So today I choose to relax into winter’s chilly embrace and make the best of it: cook a big brunch for my family, take pictures of how pretty everything looks before the plows and sanders come through, and be grateful for this pause in my frenetic routine.
Maybe that’s why we have snowstorms and rainstorms and sick days. To force ourselves to slow down or stop. To take a look around and appreciate what’s there.
As Shug says in The Color Purple, “I think it pisses God off if you walk by the color purple in a field somewhere and don’t notice it.”
Or be grateful for who is there. Hug your sweetie, your dog, your kid.
Send a thankful message to a colleague or friend, or give them a shout out on Facebook or Twitter to let them know you appreciate them.
And because it is a winter wonderland out there, maybe I’ll even go for a walk and soak in all the beauty.
What are you grateful for? What are you noticing? What is your good fortune?
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Kristen Golden is the owner of Fortune Cookie Wisdom, an apparel line of t-shirts featuring inspirational fortune cookie messages. After a career in anti-violence work, she created this company to amuse, inspire, and connect people. www.fortune-cookie-wisdom.com
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