the truth about winter

"The snow fell as softly as a poet's tears."

~Kevin Ansbro~

It's hard to believe that Christmas is behind us already. All the decorating and baking are finished. All the wrapping that kept us busy for weeks has been cast off, all so we could celebrate with friends and family on Christmas day. So we could welcome the kids home for the holiday. So we could enjoy the  company of people we love but seldom see. 

"I wonder if the snow loves

the trees and fields, 

that it kisses them so gently."

~Lewis Carroll~

Except that some of them didn't make it home this year. Some took ill, or because they cared for someone who was sick, or injured, or unable to travel, they stayed with them. Or perhaps they refused to come...out of anger or bitterness or resentment. Or they missed Christmas because most of us were hunkered down against an historic cold spell, and in some places, blizzard conditions that closed airports and made travel dangerous, if not impossible.  

All that preparation. All that anticipation. For naught.

"I pray this winter

will be gentle and kind--

a season of rest 

from the wheel of the mind."

~John Geddes~

If you are a writer, you know what this feels like. You understand what it takes to get ready for the big day--when you finally query an agent about your narrative. Your word count is spot on. The chapters are numbered and titled. Everything has been checked and rechecked. Revised again and again. You are ready...

...but nothing happens. Disappointment reigns. All that preparation. All that anticipation. For naught.

As cold and dark as it feels right now, I'm optimistic that winter will run its course. With a little luck, we could even have an early spring. I'm confident that the shovels and the Quik-melt will find their way back into storage for another year. That the people we missed at Christmas will find their way back to us...or we will make our way to them.

Likewise, with a little luck--or a lot of it--your writing will find a publisher...and all that work, all that preparation will eventually pay off. 

Are you prepared for winter? Are you ready for spring? Are you eager for success?

"Always be prepared
for something amazing to happen."
~Melanie Perkins~

jan