2025-12-11
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We can settle for the winter now

The title of this entry is a personal one. It's a memory of what my
grandfather would say on the brink of winter, and a warm recollection
that I have of him. Born over a hundred years ago, he would be among
those who lived close to the natural cycles of life, very much
according to what the seasons provided. It does seem to me that the
further away we drift from that way of living, the more challenging
life becomes. Just as we are social creatures who need interactions
and relationships, we are also part of the natural world which,
contrary to what we are sometimes tempted to believe, we need for our
well-being.

As we approach the winter solstice, it is perhaps a good moment to
reflect. Older folks remember times when the sense of a duty well done
was fulfilling in itself. It might be, at least partially, an answer
to our craving to belong. Being ready to overwinter might mean many
things. For my grandfather, it was looking over the land and the work
done, which gave him a sense of identity and a purpose that would
largely extend to providing for others, keeping the family safe and
well. Winter was the quiet time with no work on the land, a time to
live off what had been done before. You can easily find a meaningful
analogy to it in your modern life or, even more so, make it a pretext
for reflecting on slowing your pace down with nature, to regain
strength and flourish again in the spring.

For now, though, it's all right. We can settle for the winter.