Spring is such a tease, especially in Ontario. Once Daylight Savings Time hits and the light pours in until 7 pm, you just assume that the temperature outside is going to match. But you can't judge a book by its cover... and you can't judge the weather by what it looks like through a window (unless your view out the window looks like the below – then you can definitely judge. Hard).
And even when the sunshine lines up to the plus teen temperatures for a few days, there will inevitably always be that one. last. snow storm.
Case in point – this day just a couple of weeks ago. March 31st, to be exact. Just one day away from April, and a glorious snow storm came down over Barrie, where my parents live.
It happens almost every single year, without fail. We wait for warmer weather, and it comes, but then the cold and snow boomerang back for one final reprise. Just to keep us on our toes, I suppose, but also, to teach us a lesson. Nothing is for certain. Change is inevitable. Uncertainty should be embraced. Make the most of every moment, even if it's not what you want it to be.
March 31st definitely wasn't what we wanted it to be. But here's Mom and Zoey and I, making the most of it anyway. We could have just stayed inside. Complained about the snow. Whined about the cold. Instead, we buckled up our boots, laced up our layers, and out we went.
My favourite way to get through winter is to enjoy the outdoors, no matter what the conditions are outside. Rain, snow, intense cold – as long as I'm feeling the fresh air on my face, getting in a good workout (nothing intense, technically more of a walk-out haha), and letting Zoey get some exercise too, I find my mood drastically shifts.
For the second year in a row, I've walked to and from work to get my Fitbit steps in. Squeezing in that 30 minutes of sunshine every morning (and sometimes evening, when the sun set a little later) helped alleviate my SAD – Seasonal Affective Disorder. It's crazy how just that one action picked up my mood so much. It's why I'm such a big proponent of getting outside – it's technically where humans are meant to spend most of their time!
For the second year in a row, I've walked to and from work to get my Fitbit steps in. Squeezing in that 30 minutes of sunshine every morning (and sometimes evening, when the sun set a little later) helped alleviate my SAD – Seasonal Affective Disorder. It's crazy how just that one action picked up my mood so much. It's why I'm such a big proponent of getting outside – it's technically where humans are meant to spend most of their time!
Also, can we talk about how beautiful the snow is, objectively speaking? A fresh sprinkle of the stuff makes everything new again, clean again. Even though winter feels like an ending, it feels like a beginning too. A perfect white canvas. A magical stillness that lets you listen to your thoughts that much more clearly. Spring and summer are all hustle and bustle, and there's certainly a time and a place for that. But there's a time and a place for this season as well.
Truth be told, I'm going to miss winter. Not just the cozy sweaters and hot cocoas by the fire, but also the chance for life to slow down. To meditate on this past year, its ups and hella deep downs. I'll remember these past few months as a good ones. I might have hit rock bottom. Might have declared I'm moving to a warmer country a few times. But I also learned to appreciate all the things that winter brings, too. Things I'll keep reminding myself of – like patience, as I gently wait for spring to come around the corner.
