Nature – Page 3 – Janis Dehler

Leo and I set out to snowshoe on the north shore of Lake Superior near the mouth of the Caribou River. It had begun to thaw a bit and we sank up to our knees in places, got off the trail and made our way to the road and then back on another trail closer to the river. In some ways a deer trail although we had to bail on that as their path headed down a cliff to the water and then across and up the other side.

Leo was hoping for window pane ice flows to the shore and his wish was granted yesterday as we listened in awe to the crashing of the ice flows into each other and to the shore. Each morning, each day, Lake Superior is a different lake on the surface as it thaws, flows in different directions, refreezes and delights us with unexpected formations.

Ralph Waldo Emerson said, “Life consists in what a man(woman) is thinking of all day. ” We feel this truth as we contemplate the water each day; I lived this truth as I walked the Camino in Spain for three and a half weeks. With vast open space, contemplating the beauty before us, we open and feel united to that which we contemplate. The day is the water, the field bathed in the morning sun, the splash of color on the wisteria as I turned the last corner.

We can drive through beauty at 60 miles an hour every day and not see it nor experience that which is before us as we plan our day, reflect on how to approach our boss, review the argument of last night. We create a habit of not seeing until we are removed from our day to day habits and are faced with little else to contemplate but what is before us. That is the gift of retreat, we leave something behind, we withdraw from enemy forces, and in the act of retreat we review and re center. The enemy being that within us which we struggle against to be present. Seeing beauty is an act of will and honing that skill is an exercise of a muscle allowing us to hold a strong and steady gaze.

Allowing beauty in to the center of our being changes us in ways that allows us to be one with the constant beauty which lies below the surface. Beauty reflects the beauty of our own true nature. As Lake Superior changes throughout the day, all the while being its’ constant true self below the surface, so do we flow in and out of myriad emotions, thoughts, and movements in our day and beneath it all are each a spark of God, pure love, unity.

We are in a new month. I am noticing closely as we are not going anywhere for the winter months and it is interesting to watch the movement of weather while noticing how I feel about the weather. For the most part, being here in the cold and snow is fine. It just is. What I am missing is being outside walking as I just don’t go out when it is so cold. I mainly notice the weather when I see a photo on facebook of someone in a warm climate. Oh my, to walk outside again would be delightful!

We are in full moon time, the stars are bright and crisp in these below zero nights. I pray with gratitude for the warm home we live in and pray that all might have a warm safe place to lay their head for the night. My studio/office faces south and the warm rays of the sun surround me as I sit at my desk. I try to sit facing the sun streaming in through the window to soak in some vitamin D.

It is an introverted time of the year as we are still wrapped in darkness for a good part of our 24 hour day. We enjoy small intimate dinner gatherings and head to bed early or sit quietly reading. We can be more patient with our lives when we are buried in snow as travel in extreme weather and darkness isn’t fun anyway. It is as if we live through months of energy conservation saved up for the high days and nights of summer. We also notice we spend less money in winter as we go less and shop less. We add 5 lbs of extra weight to our bodies just to keep ourselves warm.

Winter requires creative endurance while creating ways to stay active, engaged, and healthy in the unforgiving cold. One of my bereaved, 83 year old gentleman, is as giddy as a teenager with the delight of meeting a woman who he finds interesting and good company. His daughter is stunned with the transformation and pleased that he has come out of himself and found a reason to get up in the morning. Winter gives us a reason to reach out to find friends who understand our need for connection in these days that otherwise draw us into seclusion.

Finding warm love in the midst of a bitter winter is good for the soul. It brings a smile to the heart and we all grow larger for knowing it.

Category: Nature

Reflections From The North Shore

The Warmth of Love in a Cold Climate