Life Lessons Learned in Winter

With all its splendor, winter provides time to learn important life lessons. It is a season we often do not appreciate, but if we look around we might discover some important ideas about life, ourselves and others.

Individuality allows us to be unique and beautiful.

Have you ever looked closely at a snowflake? Although all are symmetrical, each individual flake is unique and beautiful in its own way. Some are lacy, some are angular, but all have characteristics that make them beautiful.

Like snowflakes, people are individuals with special qualities and traits. These unique qualities make us different from one another. As we interact with each other, we don't always appreciate our differences. We often fail to take time to look for the true beauty of a person, whether it be physical outward beauty, or inner beauty which is not so obvious. Often we rush to make judgements without examining others closely and celebrating their individual qualities that make them unique and truly beautiful. Snowflakes remind us to appreciate the individual and traits that make each person unique and beautiful.

Rest is essential because it provides time to rejuvenate.

During the winter months the natural world slows down as days grow shorter. Some creatures, like bears, hibernate, sleeping through the cold months. Winter is a time of peace as creatures sleep, taking time to rejuvenate themselves.

For us winter provides a perfect time to reflect and rest. During this season we give ourselves time to rejuvenate so we have energy to accomplish our goals as days grow longer during other months of the year. We need to be well rested so we can move forward into the next season of our lives. Winter serves a purpose; it provides time to rejuvenate.

Even in the coldest of times, hope remains.

We see this even in the cold month of January as the sun breaks through on the cold, clear days. An icicle will catch and reflect a ray of light reminding us that though it is cold and daylight is limited, we still can see the glinting ray of sunlight reflecting off the icicle. That light sparkling off ice is like hope in our darkest hour. It reminds us that we can get through hard times because there's the light of a new day which will be brighter.

Too much weight can lead to collapse.

As snow piles up during the winter months, it's weight can become overwhelming. There are true accounts of roofs caving in under the weight of too much snow. Weight of worry, like too much snow on a roof, can be overpowering. When we let worries and stress build up, we experience collapse, both emotional and physical, and we are overwhelmed.

Take time to examine how much weight you have put upon yourself, and think about ways to decrease the weight so you do not collapse under the pressure.

Delicate things must be handled with care.

Delicate -- the perfect word to describe a snowflake. In the cold, a snowflake will last and maintain its beauty. But in a person's hand snowflakes melt quickly because they are delicate and cannot withstand interference; they are fragile. These beautiful symbols of winter remind us of how somethings are fragile and must be handled with care-- like people, especially children.

Often, we forget the fragility of others. In haste, we forget the power of words and their effects on others. We overlook the delicate nature of others' feelings when we use biting, angry words or physically threatening actions towards them. Remember, like snowflakes, people should be handled with care.

Cold and hauntingly beautiful, northern winters can be overwhelming. Yet, the remind us about important key ideas about life, relationships, who we are, and what we should aspire to be. Appreciate the natural beauty of winter.