A Snowy Clean Slate

Joining my environment in a new beginning

My world is covered in a thick layer of crisp white snow. The sky is also white, a dense cloud hangs on my mountain. The big trees only 50 metres away have vanished in the fog. The stark whiteness of the landscape is disorienting.

There’s no definition between snow and sky. It’s both bright and dark, sometimes brighter than others. I’m assuming the clouds thin a little, allowing more light through, though I don’t know if that’s the reason.
It’s peaceful yet unnerving.

It’s been like this for days. Silent, the snow absorbs every sound. I am floating in a world of white. I often ask myself in moments of natural and usually colourful beauty if I’ve died and gone to heaven. At this moment, as I float around in a cloud it seems undeniable that I’m in another world.

Lost and forgotten things in the yard will be rediscovered in spring. These unique and disorienting days won’t last forever, and I want to make the most of them. How will I spend this time? What will it mean to me?

Can I take this time to reflect deeply? To use this pure, white, and peaceful place to look inwardly. To reflect, renew and come out refreshed? Is this my temple?
or
Will it be a white padded room? A sunless, monochromatic horror from which I cannot escape. An abyss in which all I can do is stir and fret and worry about things out of reach or buried in the snow?

Though my landscape lends itself to be either an ideal temple or a padded room, I don’t believe the feeling is unique to me. After the bright, colourful high of the holidays, winter takes hold and with it often comes a low. Even in cities and among other people, during this time of year, the world can sometimes feel lonesome and dull.

Something I’ve noticed as I go into my 5th winter here is that during this season things start to get tumultuous. It seems to me the news gets heavier, and people become more aggravated - especially online. As moods dip and people get a bit stir-crazy, negativity prevails.

Let’s be mindful of the season and the effect it has on us this year. Instead of letting it become the padded room, full of stirring and fretting over things which we cannot control - let’s make it our temple. It’s a time to be kind and careful with ourselves and others.

For the month of January, I’m doing a digital hiatus. To preserve my peace, reflect, and make the most of the magic around me. I’m looking forward to living entirely in my own world, without outside influence. Disorienting days in the fog won’t last forever, and when the sky finally opens again, I want to be sure I’m reoriented and facing the right way, happy with what I’ve learned.

(Curt, too)

A huge Thank You to the people who have chosen to support my writing over the years. Going forward, I’m turning off the paid section on this publication, but if you’d like to continue to support my writing - here’s a link to my PayPal.

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Again, thank you and see you in February! ❤️