Ode to S.N.O.W. (Seasons Need Our Welcome)
I started writing this piece in January 2024, and I am just getting around to publishing it now. It really is perfect timing though, and that’s not by accident. Today is the first day of Spring! Spring Equinox. I’ve had to rearrange what I had already written, insert new ideas, snap recent photos, and draw fresh inspiration. Now that Spring has arrived, I felt it was the perfect time to start anew. Also, I found it in my spirit to write one very late evening, and then somehow forgot to save my edits! Talk about discouragement! Lesson: You can ALWAYS start again!
In case you’re new here (if you are please come back often!) this blog is dedicated to the prosperity of our mental health, which MUST be taken care of just as much as we take care of our physical and financial health- and the overall health of others, whether that be family, friends, work and/or even our pets! Many of us too often put ourselves and our own needs on the proverbial back burner while attending to everyone and everything else. We can’t pour from empty, rusted, and neglected vessels, as they will soon rot out and begin to leak. And we don’t want that!
ODE TO S.N.O.W. is meant to be a fond remembrance and nostalgic tribute to all of the seasons that shape our lives; and a gentle reminder that these seasons are needed, sent by the Universe herself, and they deserve our welcome. That without change, there is no change, and we must welcome whatever season comes our way, even the painful seasons. More importantly, to serve as a reminder that there are things to be grateful for ALWAYS, through every season, even when they prove to be difficult or less than desirable. We just need to greet them gracefully and with intent; following their lead if you will, and having faith that “the sun will shine again”.
As always, if you are in a place where you need help managing your mental health, or have prolonged depressive symptoms, including thoughts of suicide, helplessness, or hopelessness, PLEASE reach out to The National Suicide and Crisis Hotline at 988, your nearest counselor, health professional, family member and/or friend. It’s ok to seek help! You WILL thank yourself as you move into your mental prosperity.
“Celebrate each season, for you too, are transformed with the turns of the earth”
2025 Snowfall
WINTER- Although he hadn’t been around much lately, I still held very fond thoughts of Old Man Winter. We (here in Maryland) hadn’t seen snow in the past two years before 2025. Wellll, there was a dusting in January 2024, but before that, nothing substantial since January 2022. As a Jersey girl, a less than 5 inch seasonal snowfall total was very demure. Though I’d always had a strong dislike of snow, and cold weather for that matter; I had begun to miss both. It just felt odd missing an entire season, for multiple seasons! The saying goes, you never miss your water until the well runs dry.
I found myself reminiscing. Sure, it was cold enough, but it just wasn’t the same without S.N.O.W. I recalled having days off from school (pretty hard won back then trust me!) and drinking hot chocolate while me and my sister played “library” for the day. Watching the shimmering icicles on the overhang of the porch catch the light of the Sun as we looked outside, patiently waiting to be allowed permission to put on our bulky snowsuits and go outside and make snowballs, snow angels, and sled (yes there was a LOT of snow). Returning home after an hour or so with frozen noses and toes, to a hot bowl of soup. All of us kids would sleep so well those nights! Fast forward to watching my young son do the same. Ah, to be young again.
Yet, as I became more “seasoned” we will say, I began to hold different views about Old Man Winter. He was inconvenient (he wasn’t that faithful either because he disappeared for too long). There was no longer an automatic day off of work as with school. As a Property Manager, I was considered essential long before COVID , if you know you know. Schools were closed and finding a babysitter last minute while you still need to get to work can be stress inducing!
The fluffy white snow took on a muddy and yellowish hue the longer it hung around, and the cold temperatures turned it into ice. I couldn’t drive when and where I wanted without extra caution, or at all! I had to clean mounds of snow off my car, adding time to my slow and shaky commute. It was now dark too early and cast a heaviness on me that I couldn’t quite explain. (Note: The end of “daylight savings time, where we lose an hour of daylight in the evening has been proven to have adverse effects on the mental health of many- clinically known as S.A.D.). AND I JHAD TO WALK MY DOG!!
Nefi- she loves the snow
To add to this, two of the most recognized holidays in the US- Thanksgiving and Christmas- occur during the Fall and Winter months, when S.A.D. is at it’s most critical, according to experts. Because holidays can at times exacerbate feelings of depression, this can feel like a double whammy for many,(been there, done that) for reasons ranging from loss, grief, finances, to family conflict. However, S.A.D. can occur at any time of year based on personal circumstances. I didn’t have enough money for holiday shopping. I didn’t have the right clothes. I thought, what is there to like? And just like that I began to dread Winters approach. Each year, I stayed depressed most of the time every Winter, miserably waiting for Spring and Summer to roll around so I could be happy again.
“Spring is the time of plans and projects”
SPRING- Spring did indeed return as promised. Growing up, I remember being excited about a new Easter outfit and Easter egg hunts. Catching ladybugs in jars (to release them of course) and letting beautiful butterflies land on my hand. Being tuned into the grasshoppers “singing” their symphony into the star filled night while I listened intently. Sitting on the porch listening to the birds chirping, who were seemingly having some sort of conversation with each other .
Spring has always reminded me of light, airy conversations sprinkled with soft giggles; wispy dresses, tea parties and new romance in the air. Pastel colored clothing and spring cleaning. Wide open windows day and night, the soft, warm breeze carrying the sweet fragrance of lavender, hyacinths-and roses, some of my grandfather’s favorites. I hold very fond memories of watching him tend to his garden. Pause, close your eyes if you are able to right now and visualize this or your fondest memory of Spring. Take a deep breath in and out. Smile.
Seedling plant
I really had no issues with Spring, she was alright with me. A little TOO soft though. Too fly-by-nighty! Over the past few years it seems, Summer has bullied Spring into a corner, am I right? She politely sat in that corner too! I’d barely had time to attend a tea party or to wear a flowy Spring dress! One day it was a perfect 73 degrees and the next day (or later that same day) it would be above 90 degrees, or lately, 45 degrees! (This is indicative of how quickly seasons can change or appear in your own life).
It now seemed that the grasshoppers’ singing was becoming too loud. There was too much rain and I couldn’t walk my dog; or lately, not enough rain and my plants were dying. The ladybugs were free to do their thing as I no longer had time nor will to catch and release them. Yet they kept landing on me! Leaving my windows open became too noisy and I couldn’t sleep! I tried sitting outside to listen to the birds but my two phones would go off either simultaneously, or one by one, constantly interrupting my time with the birds. UGH! Hurry up Summer, I’m done with Spring for now. Are we sensing a pattern here yet? Hint: Mindset matters.
“Smell the sea, and feel the sky. Let your soul and spirit fly.”
SUMMER- FINALLY, Summer took her place. Surely I’d be happy now right? I mean, I’m a summer baby for goodness sakes! A true summer baby, like deep in July. Stevie Wonder didn’t pen "‘Hotter than July’ for nothing. And let’s not forget all of the ode to summer songs, to name a few; “Here Comes the Sun”-The Beatles; “Summertime” -Jazzy Jeff and Fresh Prince; “Hot Fun Summer in the City- The Lovin Spoonful; and SO many others, think [Grease- Summer of Love]. MY Birthday season! Fun in the sun, pools, grilling swimsuits, shorts, tanks and sandals. Staying up as late as we wanted, road trips, family vacations. Friend group meetups. What was NOT to love? The Sun is our life force of energy so it’s no wonder that many feel happy when the Sun is shining on us. When the Sun is shining brightly, warming our faces, and glowing on our skin, we are reminded of how good it feels to be alive and grateful for all of life.
Summer nights
But NOW, It was TOO hot. There were too many people everywhere I went. The pools and the roads were crowded. Lines were long and my patience was short. Hell, I had to work anyway! Vacations were nice but too short. There are more insects and critters to deal with now! I couldn’t dress how I used to dress (who’s fault was that by the way?) and it was TOOO HOTTT! I found myself wanting Summer to end and begging Fall to drop in ASAP.
“I cannot endure to waste anything so precious as autumnal sunshine by staying in the house. ”
FALL- Fall arrived, as promised, although a little later than in the past now. I also have fond memories of Fall as I grew up, like my leaf collection I’d started when I was about 11 or 12 years old. It was a great leaf collection and I wished I’d done more to preserve it. I picked all the interesting looking and different leaves I could find, looked them up in the encyclopedias we had (no internet back then), then pasted them into a bound notebook with my handwritten descriptions of them. I also started collecting the chestnuts that fell from the tree in our backyard and had the great sense of mind to store them all in my dad’s old lined suitcase box (the hardbody kind), and then put them in the basement. Oh was THAT fun to find and open months later LOL. Soup and hot chocolate days made an appearance again.
Beautiful leaves fell rapidly from their gnarly hosts, creating colorful skirts at the roots of each. Eventually, the half naked trees became fully bare and I knew that Summer had moved on for certain. The bright colorful leaves now lay on the ground in piles, brown and decaying, crunching under my feet as I walked. Vacations were over, back to school and adulthood. The wind was far above a whisper now, more like forceful exhalations of pent up frustrations from the Universe. And yes, as we stated earlier, the shorter days.
When I left for work it was dark, when I arrived home from work, it was also dark. I was never considered a Fall fashionista, I could never seem to put my outfits together just right. And oh, my hair! This wind was too disrespectful. Fall was a daily reminder that Old Man Winter was approaching soon. That snow would likely return to slow me down again, and heavy coats and clunky boots would reappear in my closet. Not to mention, I always caught at least one tragically debilitating cold each Winter. I had mentally prepared myself for the “doom” of even colder weather approaching.
And each year, I’d go through the same motions and the same feelings of depression and a cycle of highs and lows simply due to the SEASONS that were here for a reason. At some point I realized that I had to help myself since I had no power over the Seasons! They were going to come and go as they pleased; as they MUST, and they had important behind the scenes work to do to keep the Universe in balance. I had to begin working on myself and my outlook towards these “seasons in my life”
In addition to the four seasons, according to Merriam Webster dictionary, the meaning of SEASON is a time characterized by a particular circumstance or feature. We’ve all heard the saying “here for a reason, or a season”.
Above, I gave several instances on what “annoyed” me about each season and I’d led myself to believe that it was the SEASON giving me angst. That is because what we think constantly we believe, and ultimately we live out those beliefs, without realizing it. I was not going to make it out of my cyclical depressive state if I had not changed my mindset about approaching each season with gratitude, grace, and hope that the promise of a new season to come would be fulfilled. That whatever was ailing me would pass eventually and not to get too comfortable in my winning seasons either especially if I wasn’t doing the work to maintain them.
“Winter, Spring, Summer, Fall, I’ll give you my all...”
The same applies to the SEASONS in our lives. We all go through them, and some may feel like they are constantly in a season either for a long time or repeatedly over time (Some=Me). We must remember that the Sun WILL shine again. And while some Seasons are difficult to bear and we wonder how we will make it through, there is the promise in your spirit that you can, and you will. The Seasons of our lives are not merely annoyances that we must endure or try to escape from; but rather opportunities for us to grow, to start anew, to be still, to change direction and embrace the challenges presented to us in order to sharpen our life skills. Similarly, the good or really great seasons need to be met with gratitude and thanks, and ways to envision how to truly OWN the favor bestowed upon you at that time, and equally importantly, to share it with others.
Now instead of dreading the Seasons of life I think of all the things I love about each one. For example, when it snows, I appreciate the quiet blanket placed over the city, muting the traffic noises I once complained about, and I enjoy watching my dog run through the snow.
I enjoy the birds chirping in Spring uninterrupted by leaving my phones on silent, or just leaving them behind period. My morning walks are filled with serenades from the birds who are happily announcing that Spring has sprung. I pot a few plants and hope they will survive. They have :)
Green thumb working
Summer- ah Summer! While a little hot for the personal season that I’m currently in -Summer will always be my favorite. I enjoy hearing school children’s laughter as they play to their hearts content. A time for vacations, slower pace of life, beautiful beaches, SUN, an
Fall rolls back around I welcome it too. Time to buckle down, get back to business. Grounding. A time to self-reflect. Brisk walks and pretty scarves.. Tea and Cider anyone?
My favorite teacup
A few years ago I visited Maine and stepped into a book store. This book jumped out at me and I’m so glad I purchased it. The Self-Care Year by Alison Davies offers simple and rejuvenating ways to get in tune with nature and all of its seasons. There will be something for everyone in this book. Adjusting your outlook in the smallest of ways can change-and in some cases save- your life. You owe it to yourself after all. You’ve made it through some times! And you will make it through more. Do whatever feels right to you and you develop your own rituals. Remember, Seasons Need Our Welcome (S.N.O.W.)
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