I feel you on the ominous sense of winter coming. For me, it's less the weather (which I welcome because the heat/humidity just wrecks me) but the holidays looming have me worried about my kid, who did fall into depression last winter. My brain knows that it's different, and they will be vaccinated soon, but the PTSD jumps out. I hope winter unfolds in a way that gives us back some of what we rely on to get through this dark season in general. Friends, light, food. Whatever it is.
Love your honesty and your hopefulness. While listening to this just now, I looked outside and saw snow on the trees. Totally unexpected! (Although I'm in Nova Scotia.) I too suffer from SAD, and last winter I read something that helped: Rick Bass's slim memoir called "Winter," about his first winter living in the middle of nowhere in Montana (he still lives there now). It is a magical little book, and permanently altered how I feel about the season.
I always enjoy hearing the joy and warmth in your voice when you read these thoughts. Thank you for your reflections. I too hope for a better winter than last year but feel it might not be so much better.
I nearly burst into tears at this voice note. My 50th birthday is Friday, and I'm feeling some things. The winter transition weather-wise is not as significant for me since I'm in LA, but I understand.
It was so lovely to hear your voice describe this Sunday's snow. I am also now pro-voicenotes! I am in a nearby suburb and have children so my snow experience is slightly different than yours, but shaking out the foreboding feeling of the upcoming winter is definitely the same.
The baby optimist in me wants this winter to think this winter will be better, but the realist is looking at 1,000 people still dying daily from COVID, the current upticks in cases in Europe and here which will likely only go up as holiday travel and gathering commences, and the fact that most of my partnered friends are having entirely different experiences from me at this point in the pandemic. I think it's always been hard to be alone during the winter and other people not realizing/remembering how's much harder things are now has compounded the loneliness, for me. Trying to leave a ton of space for it to happen differently than what my body fears.
I feel you on the ominous sense of winter coming. For me, it's less the weather (which I welcome because the heat/humidity just wrecks me) but the holidays looming have me worried about my kid, who did fall into depression last winter. My brain knows that it's different, and they will be vaccinated soon, but the PTSD jumps out. I hope winter unfolds in a way that gives us back some of what we rely on to get through this dark season in general. Friends, light, food. Whatever it is.
Love your honesty and your hopefulness. While listening to this just now, I looked outside and saw snow on the trees. Totally unexpected! (Although I'm in Nova Scotia.) I too suffer from SAD, and last winter I read something that helped: Rick Bass's slim memoir called "Winter," about his first winter living in the middle of nowhere in Montana (he still lives there now). It is a magical little book, and permanently altered how I feel about the season.
I always enjoy hearing the joy and warmth in your voice when you read these thoughts. Thank you for your reflections. I too hope for a better winter than last year but feel it might not be so much better.
I nearly burst into tears at this voice note. My 50th birthday is Friday, and I'm feeling some things. The winter transition weather-wise is not as significant for me since I'm in LA, but I understand.
It was so lovely to hear your voice describe this Sunday's snow. I am also now pro-voicenotes! I am in a nearby suburb and have children so my snow experience is slightly different than yours, but shaking out the foreboding feeling of the upcoming winter is definitely the same.
The baby optimist in me wants this winter to think this winter will be better, but the realist is looking at 1,000 people still dying daily from COVID, the current upticks in cases in Europe and here which will likely only go up as holiday travel and gathering commences, and the fact that most of my partnered friends are having entirely different experiences from me at this point in the pandemic. I think it's always been hard to be alone during the winter and other people not realizing/remembering how's much harder things are now has compounded the loneliness, for me. Trying to leave a ton of space for it to happen differently than what my body fears.