Weathered by the Waves of Winter: News

We have reached the so-called depths of winter. I am reeling from its weathering effects like a stone polished by the tides. However, it is also time for the monthly newsletter, which I have fondly called the Joy Diaries since my goal and mission is to help people identify and capture the little moments of joy around them.

I admit I have had this newsletter in draft format for a couple of weeks. I knew it would be about the waves of winter. Initially, the title was 'Welcoming the Waves of Winter'. However, I am not feeling the welcome energy at this moment. I have been feeling particularly weathered. And it is ok. We are all weathered by the waves of winter each year. Winter is a difficult season filled with loss, darkness, often cold temperatures, and hard work. Yet, at the same time, the days last a little longer, and the lengthening glow anticipates Spring. There is evidence of our evolution even amidst the penetration of the cold. I am thinking of Camus, who found his invincible summer here in this part of winter. We are in good company, us humans, seeking warmth and light.

For me, this winter, the holidays were hard. They can be hard for many people. It was particularly challenging for my partner, most likely due to so many recent transitions and routines that we couldn't keep up. And then, a week ago, my father passed away rather suddenly. Onlookers would say that it wasn't unexpected at his age. True, he was three weeks shy of his 91st birthday. But he was an unstoppable force who was never in the hospital for anything other than his patients. Nothing ever affected him, and he did live with a couple of diseases that doctors were not convinced would genuinely take him down. Yet, one eventually did last week. We were a bit casual about his health, probably because he was (largely) unconcerned about it, and he exercised almost every day, even up through his last week of life.

I believed that I was prepared for the passing of a parent who made it to their 90s, but perhaps there is no preparation.

Friends, wherever you are on this fine winter's day, take care of yourselves. The journey is challenging, like climbing hundreds of snow-covered mountains, but it is not without beauty and joy. Perhaps beauty and joy exist to keep us going amidst our pain. A friend of mine says in pain, there is power. There is also beauty, joy, and the bittersweetness of what it means to be human. I read this quote today from one of my favorite online sources of inspiration, grateful.org and it resonates like a singing bowl in my ears:

The more you sense the rareness and value of your own life, the more you realize that how you use it, how you manifest it, is all your responsibility. We face such a big task, so naturally we sit down for a while.
--KOBUN CHINO OTOGAWA ROSHI

Peace be with you throughout the days of winter and always.

💗 ~Bridget

BOOK UPDATE: Print Version of 10 Seconds to Zen Out Now!

Friends, Readers, Teachers! I am excited to share that the paperback version of my new book is finally available on Amazon! This is good news to many readers who prefer reading physical books to digital ones. Go ahead and purchase your copy today! If you are at a school, share the link with your colleagues.