Wintering

Picked up this book yesterday to read on the rest of our stay. The title Wintering instantly caught my eye and attention. Just prior, TPS had used the term ‘hibernating’ in relation to how it felt these last few weeks. We absolutely are hibernating—resting and retreating. Also grieving. That is a word that is often taboo at times in our society. It should not be. It is healthy to grieve. I also think it is quite healthy to talk about it. It does not mean weakness as I think some might think it does. The loss of a parent and loss of a beloved four-legged companion each have their own grief. Social media is so often geared to the ‘perfection’ aspect of life. Let me rephrase that, perceived perfection. Life is not perfect, even if the photos look like it is. I think of grieving in some way as paying homage to those lost. A way for the body and mind to process it all. Our time at Hawthorne is always restorative, this time with a bit of a twist. I am not that far into the book yet. But her point so far is we all experience winter/loss/challenges. As the author writes, “I began to get a feel for my winterings: their length and breadth, their heft. I knew that they did not last forever. I knew that I had to find the most comfortable ways to live through them until spring.”