My dear reader,
There is something so simple about these days, and I wonder if I will remember them in five years. This winter isn’t as cold, isn’t as harsh as others I have experienced yet it feels like the truest of winters. The waiting, the quiet. The crisp mornings and gentle evenings. Maybe the feeling that something is coming, growing beneath the surface.
In this season I’m reading a lot, letting words sink into my heart. They keep me warm, or maybe my cup of tea does. Both are enjoyed in equal measure. I will never underestimate the power of spending my time this way, or the power of solitude.
In solitude, I’ve been trying to listen. Trying to let the stillness breathe. I used to think the quiet invited loneliness to make herself at home, but now I see the quiet is how we rid ourselves of the clutter in our minds and souls. There is so much noise. (I do not want to know how I’ve added to it.)
Winter has always been my favourite season.
When I was a child, it was because of my June birthday. As an adult, probably still my birthday, but also because of the reflection winter brings.
Winter is a good time for reflection because it is not a growing, blooming season. It is a season of slowing down and looking around, a time for patience. Winter speaks softly, quietly asks questions and waits for answers. There is no rush. Winter tells me there is beauty in the stillness.
I’ve been taking my cues from winter. I’ve been slowing, asking, listening. Reflecting and looking back but carrying what I’ve learnt into the spring to come. Winter teaches us to take a step back, that we don’t need to be moving forward all the time.
Aren’t the seasons good reminders for how we live our own lives?
God created this organised change, He created transition. He created times of growth and times of quiet. He created natural rhythms, ebbs and flows. There is so much I can learn from what He has made.
I’d love to hear if there’s a season you can relate to at the moment, and how you’ve been spending your time in it. If you reply to this email, we can continue the conversation. I look forward to it!
Sarah xx
Currently listening: Wildflowers by The Wailin’ Jennys (Tom Petty cover)
Currently reading: Beloved by Toni Morrison
the softest words 