Warm Thoughts on a Winter Morning

Winter holds on and brings us deeper and deeper into ourselves.

We crave warmth, a fireside,
long restful sleep. Nature provides the kind of beauty which takes time and solitude to observe.
Part of us wants it to rush by; part of us wants it to stay forever.

We poke our heads out of the covers, and wonder if it can really be morning yet.

We are eternally grateful for wool socks.

We remember what we did on snow days when school was closed: old sleighs, wood toboggans, hot chocolate with those little marshmallows. Grilled cheese sandwiches and Campbell's Tomato Soup - made with milk instead of water. Stocking hats. Ice skates.

Walking at night in a fresh snowfall through town, with my best friend, laughing.

Cross country skiing in college. Remembering the dusky shades of lavender and antracite against the white of the snow more than any class I ever took.

Time flies by, the years run into each other. Time to take stock, to relax. To remember. And to be grateful for days, cold or warm, that lie ahead.