5 days ago3 min read

winter: my poems & thoughts.

hi friends! welcome back to my winter series, where i'm exploring what winter feels like and how to appreciate this hard season for what it does bring us. here are a few poems i've written over the past few months as i've been observing winter & what is beneath the surface of this cold time. i hope the poems are comforting and open your mind to the beautiful parts of winter <3

the winter air

is fierce,

the winter ground

is strong.

a tale of survival,

of strength

and stillness.

my paint palette

is filled with colors.

my winter forest

has them all.

blues in the branches, the lichens, the leaves covering the forest floor

yellows in the grasses, tall and long, in the moss that covers the bumpy surface of the soil

browns in every shade, dark and black trees, leaves, soil, layering hundreds of rings in the trunks of the great trees that have fallen

orange in the rust fungus, golden on the dark bark

greens in the moss, covering trees with both light and deep colors, in the pine trees with dark shades, in the leaves with muted tones

white in the grain of the trees, the underside of leaves, and in the mushrooms

reds in the trunk, the berries, the soil, combining with brown making dark purples.

even when all feels dead,

there is color everywhere.

sometimes i describe God

as the seasons

summer

abounding / alive / joy / blessing

spring

new / hope / beauty / promise

autumn

harvest / wonder / generous / relief

but when is God winter

still / heavy / slow / hibernating / rest

i think i have this part of His character

missing.

winter

bare

forces you

to look

deeper

inward .

when winter isn't snowy, but cold, it can be easy to feel lost in the heaviness of the season. taking walks every day and being in the forest has helped me learn about winter--there is still life in what seems to be death, for it is a season of hiberation, inner growth, and slowness.

what beauty do you see in the winter? what helps you keep your mood up during gloomy & dark days? let me know! i would love to write a post about tips for staying upbeat during the winter months.

i think it's important to learn from winter. like the earth, we're not supposed to be flourishing and sunny and growing fast all year. we need time to slow down and rest. to die a little, so we can grow back beautiful again. to feel empty, so we can experience the joy of feeling full again.

to find joy within ourselves, in God, in each other. to be still and reconcile with our thoughts, not to run away from them. to realize that summer bliss doesn't mean contentment!! we can be content in the winter, too.

i'm working to trust that God made winter. it's for amazing reasons, to help us grow. if that's hard for you to believe, pray about it. He will help you <3

love you all!! sending big hugs!

see you next week for what i’ve learned about friendship in the last year. it's gonna be a good one!!

xoxo, kate

ps i just published a new podcast episode with my friends pearl & mayim so make sure you don't miss that one :)