Living most of my life in Pennsylvania. I’ve always enjoyed the four seasons and have very fond memories of the winter season. However, after a few months of playing games, enjoying outdoor activities like ice skating, sledding, and drinking lots of hot chocolate we always began to look forward to spring. The cold temperatures, snow, and high winds began to dwindle and as quickly as winter came it disappeared.
Just as nature has a winter season, we experience winter in our lives.Sometimes the season may seem harsh and cold but we can always look forward to Spring.
We often need connection with others to get through the winter seasons of life. Sitting by a fireplace with a cup of hot chocolate and a friend gives us the courage to hope for a better tomorrow.
One of my fondest memories was when my mother lived with me during the “winter season” of her life. When she first came to our home she was 92 years old. My mother was so tiny and fragile, weighing a little less than 70lbs. We settled her into her very own room full of windows and lots of sunshine. I didn’t know during this season I would experience a love for her that I never knew I had. A nurturing kind of love. Maybe the same kind of love she had for me when I came to live with her as an infant?
Every night, we would tuck ourselves into bed with the covers pulled up around us. We snuggled, giggled and talked for the five months she lived with me. We talked about all the things we never had time to talk about. We would laugh and sing old songs she taught me as a child.
Although her memory was fading she always wanted to talk about family and often ask the same questions. We never had deep conversations but we connected deeply. Many times she would look into my eyes and simply say, “thank you.”
When I took the time to ask her questions about her past she had the ability to tell stories with great clarity and sing songs to me her mother taught her. It was during this time we talked about the seasons of our lives. I felt like we were two little girls getting to know each other.
I knew she was in the winter season of her life and on any given day, her final season on earth would end. I knew she was going to Heaven, a place where the sun always shines. There was no need to pack because she had already prepared for this season. She had prepared her heart to face death and she knew Heaven was her next and final season.
As she took her last breath I could not comprehend the moment. As quickly as her winter season had come, it was gone. I am grateful beyond words to have been able to sit with my mother during her winter season.
Our lives are full of many seasons. There are some we cherish and some we wish to forget. The beauty of changing seasons is that no one season last forever. If you’re in a winter season and feel like it’s never ending and harsh, take a moment, sit by a fireplace, and call a friend. Find a connection with others no matter what season you’re in. Be sure and have a cup of hot chocolate ready to enjoy, engage in good conversation, and as you do, hope will spring forth in your heart.
A new season is just around the corner. Are you ready?
