Can you believe it’s already 2024? I can’t. I can’t believe its almost spring. I know a lot of people detest the winter, and I get where they’re coming from. Arctic winds and biting cold temperatures that can give you frostbite? Yeah. Not the most pleasant thing ever. But as someone who only moved to Canada about a year and a half ago, I love the winters. Despite the freezing conditions, there is beauty to it, like every other season. Just looking outside at the layer of snow calms me down. Untouched snow is even better, a blanket of shimmering white, coating everything, even the rooftops and the trees. I even go out of my way to avoid stepping on snow that hasn’t been touched yet. Is it just me or does anyone else do this too? And to think snow is just some frozen water. But now wondering about it, every form of water is beautiful, from puffy clouds to aqua waves on golden sand.
Winter has its fun to it, of course. Sledding and other outdoor activities in the winter are nice. And curling up in a fuzzy blanket while sipping a warm drink is just a whole other feeling. But it also has a deeper meaning behind it. Winter is often associated with hardship and sorrow. Animals stock up on food and prepare themselves, some hibernating, others migrating to warmer places. Snow falls, snowflake by snowflake, engulfing everything in a sea of white. It seems as though all signs of life have disappeared. But just like the winter, any difficulties and hardships we face in life are not permanent. Slowly and slowly, the snow melts away, and the landscape grows into something more beautiful than ever. With flowers blooming from every tree and the grass a lush green. Just like we will learn from those challenges and emerge from them stronger.
If you’re one of those Calgarians that wished they lived somewhere warmer, as someone with experience, I can tell you that people who live in sweltering hot places and barely ever see snow, are wishing for the Calgary winter we have. In just some time, it’ll be summer again, and we’ll be burning under the Calgary sun, and maybe even wishing for the snow to come back. Which is why it’s important to appreciate right now, and also appreciate every season, because each one brings a different kind of beauty and a different kind of joy with it.