I've long considered October to be my favorite month. The world cools down. The leaves change colors. There are festivals and fairs, and I always find myself with jam-packed weekends. At least, I did pre-pandemic. Summer is ending, and it feels like I'm starting to wake up.
I recently realized that I love January just as much. On the surface, it seems like this love is for opposite reasons. January is a time to hibernate and cancel all my plans. It's like a deep sigh and collapse after the mayhem of the holidays. A time to rest and heal. But I think the real reason I love January is the same reason I love October - it's a time of change.
January is a time to take stock of you life and make some small adjustments. So many people make new year's resolutions at the end of December, but I'm always too overwhelmed from the holidays. I need to rest a bit first. Then I can start to look around and see what I want to change.
The short days and cold air help facilitate this. Most people want to stay home, which means you end up with fewer plans and more time for introspection. But I find the weather itself healing. I get to see the sunrise every morning when I drop my kids off at school. I get to see the sunset every evening when I pick them up. On some level, it feels like the days are the perfect length.
And then there's the cold, which so many people hate but I find rejuvenating. I went for a walk every day this past week, and it was so nice to not feel like I was overheating. The chill is refreshing. That sharpness in my lungs when I take a deep breath reminds me that I'm alive.
I'm alive.
And I guess that's really it.
October reminds me that death is coming for us all, so I need to enjoy life while I can.
January reminds me that I'm still alive. I still have time.
No comments:
Post a Comment