Winter in the Blood

Not the book by James Welch (although it’s spectacular).

I mean the feeling of the season. I don’t know what it is about Winter, but it feels the most therapeutic and the most healing out of every season.

The woods breathe deep. And every tree exhales.

Morning skies in Michigan are often filled with pastels. Pretty pinks, blues, and purples against the backdrop of harsh and prickly wind, fluffy snow, and dry foliage. It’s pretty painful when you have to leave your house, but sometimes it’s worth it.

For me, this season is particularly about hibernation and deep rest. For some, this is a time of planting seeds. But not for me. I choose to plant my seeds in the Spring. Instead, I use Winter as a time to clean out the metaphorical garden beds, to get them ready for new planting. I take my time in designing new layouts, carefully prioritizing new projects to tackle, and doing as much healing as I can before I put my mind, body, and soul through another laborious season of work.

I move much more slowly, more deliberately, and with a softer determination. Of course, I still have grad school to tackle, but I’ve taken the pressure off the table.

To get me through this season, I rely on soothing sounds to carry me from task to task, and from day to day. I shuffle between playlists that make me feel a bit warmer, to contrast against the freezing cold.

Here are some key albums getting me through: