The Culling

Liz made a post about how much she hates Winter, and it got me thinking about why I'm so grateful when January rolls around each year. It's not always a gentle time of year, but I usually feel like I can breathe a bit more, think with a clearer head, and make sharper distinctions between what needs to be done and what needs to be done now.

Now that the holidays have passed, I'm trying to make headway on the wedding planning, clean up what I can around the house and yard, and tend to long-dormant projects that simply didn't fit into the hectic days of spring and summer. I start bigger projects during Winter, and press harder to wrap up loose ends. We found the house last Feb, and closed escrow before the first day of Spring.

I guess it's a matter of perspective. For me, I can't see what needs to be cut back or pruned down until the frenzy yields to colder skies and shorter days. If I don't take advantage of that black-and-white starkness to get a new perspective, donate some more stuff, wrap up a few projects... then Spring runs me over like a steam-roller with its wild, directionless growth and inexhaustible energy.

It's good to know we have some balance to our circle of friends. Liz can hold the torch of Summer, with her ineffable fondness for scorching summer days and nights that just won't cool off. And I'm happy to hold a candle for Winter, with the largest full moons of the year and crystal clear nights. I'm happy to watch the world slumber, if she'll keep an eye on things when it's wide awake!