Wintering

By: Gabriela Yareliz

I think everyone is sick. On the subway, people cough on you with no mercy. By the time you get to work, you feel like a petri dish. The air is so dry and cold, your hands and face hurt. Your eyes sting. The radiator becomes a necessary enemy. Winter.

Despite the fact that we walk around loaded with heavy coats, bags and boots, almost slipping on icy sidewalks— winter invites us to rest.

It’s cliche. And yet— I still, at times, find myself spinning my wheels and dragging myself around. On top of that, as everyone coughed on each other this morning, I kept thinking about how most of these people would tell a sick person to stay home and rest, and apparently, they hate themselves because they were definitely on their way to work in their death bed stretcher.

Imagine— I start passing out supplements on the train. Kidding. But this would be iconic. People take weed and drugs from strangers. Why not elderberry?

This is your sign to plan some downtime. Make hot tea, sit in the glow of a candle, use the nice lotion, eat something piping hot, read a wonderful book— I am currently enjoying Tara Schuster’s book below.

What do we need to retreat from? We often focus on what drains our energy, but what builds it? Make a list. Schedule that energy-giving list. You deserve to spend time wintering.