I used to have a hard time with the day after Christmas. It always felt like a let down after all the hustle, bustle and excitement.
But as I’ve gotten older, our holidays much quieter than in years past, I don’t usually feel sad the day after any longer. I think in part because I’ve really come to love silence and stillness more often in my everyday life.
I actually look forward to the day after Christmas also because I’ve realized about myself that I feel better with routine and structure to my days. That tends to get a bit mixed up this time of year.
But even though I look forward to getting back into my routine again, I was finding it hard to get it “in gear” this morning — feeling a bit melancholy about a few things that have been a bit challenging the last few weeks. And John has been so busy with work, that he is gone six days a week — and he was out the door early again today.
I knew getting out for a walk would likely change me feeling like a lead balloon. So I looked at the weather on accuweather.com as we are supposed to have rain today — no snow yet — and it read, “snow beginning in 67 minutes.”
Funny how a little thing like thinking we might have some snow got me all excited — just like when I was a little girl. And it brought up a sweet memory of when Kylie as a young puppy, and a day we had lots of snow, and how we ran and romped through the snow down to the post office.
And before I knew it, I had my warm clothes on, and out the door I went.
It’s about a mile through town before I reach our beautiful lake. And as I walked, I felt my spirits lifting, my arms swinging beside me, my feet happy to be moving.
And when I got to the lake I felt a sweet tug at my heart, which the lake always seems to do to me. Elkhart Lake, beautiful no matter what time of year. And sitting on a bench nearby was an older couple, all bundled up in their winter gear, taking in the “medicine” of the view and the water, too.
Yup, there it was, the reminder that I’d needed because I’d gotten stuck in my head this morning, that it is the simplest of things and moments that get us going once again and moving in the right direction.
Thank you Elkhart Lake. Thank you!