If only it was so easy to just have a break. I think we could all use a break from something. Work would rank high on the list of what people would like a break from. Then there are other obligations and commitments that can be overwhelming at times. Taking care of a sick or elderly family member can be both physically and mentally draining. Other times it’s just the drudgery of everyday tasks that we long to escape from. As I sit here looking out my sunroom window I realize I just want a break from winter.

Most years I try to fully embrace winter. I always say there’s no such thing as bad weather just bad clothing choices. As someone who worked outside for most of my career I got used to all kinds of weather. The heat of summer, the damp rains of fall and yes even the snowy clutches of winter. I also enjoy winter activities like skiing or a winter hike on a crisp, raw day. But I’ve come to realize that I really only enjoy those activities if the the sun is shining. So perhaps it’s not winter I need a break from but the gray drabness of it that accompanies winter in the midwest.

I swear we can go a week without seeing the sun. We get up each day in darkness, soon the darkness fades to reveal an endless gray sky and a landscape covered in snow. Everything looks the same and only two colors dominate our vision, gray and the white of snow. I feel like I’m living in my own black and white film.

And because it’s only the beginning of February I know there are still weeks of this bleakness. On gray overcast days I just want to stay inside and hibernate with some soup simmering on the stove and a book that takes me away from my existence. I wouldn’t mind winter if only we had more sunshine.

So yes, I’ll gladly take a break from the depths of winters cold grip and gray drabness and as soon as a sunny day comes along I’ll be out there enjoying it no matter the temperature.

Peace and Love,

John