Winter Beckons

 

Thanksgiving is nearly here; after that, we only have a month before Christmas arrives. During that time, the air will get colder, Fall will officially turn to Winter, and snow is likely. Deep winter will follow, and memories of the warmth and greenness of the prior three seasons will be merely a dream.

There's a crisp, stark, and virginal quality to Winter - a time of death, yes, but also a time where rebirth waits in the wings. Nature slumbers under the cold tundra and hibernates until the right time. 

While I definitely have moments during deep winter where I feel like my toes will never warm up, there's something about it that pulls me in. A venture out into the woods during this time of the year offers more serenity in the way of fewer people. After all, people would rather find indoor activities when the weather is cold. Not me. I pile on the layers and enjoy the cool, bitter stillness that accompanies the snow.

In my own life, I've instituted a type of death to make way for my own renewal. I've talked in the past about leaving social media, like here and here, but what that has meant is that I removed the apps from my phone (Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter) but kept the accounts. 

Well, I've finally reached a place in my life now where social media holds no interest to me anymore. When I do log in it's boring and there's nothing I really feel like posting about that anyone else would care to see. I have weaned myself off of it and I no longer have the desire to let hundreds of strangers know where I am at all hours of the day, describe every funny thought or weird situation I run into or share endless photos of my kids/family/friends. 

I get it, social media is an addiction that gives people a constant stream of validation. But is it healthy? No, it's not. Studies have shown that the never-ending cycle of social media we expose ourselves to is taking a huge toll on our mental health. And you know which portion of our population is suffering the most? Our kids. 

So, I've deactivated all of my social media accounts and I can't describe how amazing and freeing it is to just go out and live my life without having to tell everyone about every second of it. 

The downside is that I, obviously, can't promote my site or my books anymore. And that's okay. What will be, will be.

Winter is coming.