Hard Pants and Winter Rest

In my Mind post, I wrote about how things are always changing. This feels especially true when it comes to the body.

Lately, I’ve been practicing what it means to live cyclically by listening to the seasons of nature, the cycles of my body, and the rhythms of my family. When I pay attention, I notice they aren’t separate at all. They move together.

Right now, it is winter. I’ve worn “hard pants” (what my daughter called jeans as a toddler) exactly twice. I live in soft layers and wearable blankets (shawls, oversized scarves, floor-length cardigans). Soup simmers often. My water bottle has been replaced by a mug, always warm, always nearby.

I’ve canceled plans and kept my world small, not out of avoidance but intention. I am wintering. The trees rest. So do I. The sun leaves. So I stay inside.

The last year was full and demanding, and this season of rest has been a gift. This is what winter looks like in my body, right now.

And it won’t last forever.
Spring is coming.

-Katherine