Buy the Tulips, a List for Winter

I’ve been thinking a lot about surviving during the long, dark days of winter, even thriving. I have a short list of things that do NOT help, and the top of the list is

• Aimlessness
• Accumulated dirt
• Staying housebound
• Disorganized snow gear
• Too much screen time
• Strict dieting
• Overwhelming projects
• Navel-gazing about all the things that are wrong in my life
• PollyAnna chirping, “I’m so glad I’m not being exposed to harmful UV rays”
• At the end of the day, the weariness of winter is a thing, the brain fog is a thing, and the temptation to sin with my attitudes is a thing. Facing the challenge and admitting it is not a sin, however. When my mom gave me a stack of notepads from my Grandma’s stash, I found one with this poem on the back:

My list for coping skills is long and detailed, because I have given it much thought over the years, and probably written about it before. I have tried to condense it so I don’t fatigue you with my lofty thoughts.

• Keep rhythms, but let them be slow
• Plan fun things like tea parties and game nights
• Put lights everywhere, twinklies, candles, full-spectrum bulbs
• Eat sensibly; embrace comfort foods and bright flavors
• Buy fresh herbs, vegetables, and fruits
• Go to the library often
• Make gardening plans and order seeds
• Have spots of color around your house: quilts, throw pillows, pretty dishes
• Wear cheerful clothes
• Buy proper gear so that you can
• Get out of the house every day and
• Go skating or sledding or just walking in the fresh air
• Simmer potpourri
• Play upbeat music
• Collect houseplants for your windowsills
• Feed the birds, learn to identify them, keep lists
• Make things with beautiful yarn or paints
• Take supplements for the vitamins and minerals you lack
• Spend unhurried time with friends
• Bring home some tulips from the grocery store
• Accept: this is a season and it will pass

That list is what rises to the top when I think about leaning into wintertime. It’s customized to our household. Not everybody is blessed by quilts and bright yellow teapots. I’m sure you have your own coping skills.

Often I don’t realize that my hands are hanging down and my knees are feeble until the slump has gotten hold of me (about the 75th cloudy day in January). It becomes a spiritual battle; I spread it before the Lord, and He graces me with ideas and resources to deal with what is here, this very day, in this place I am called to be. As a keeper of my home, I have choices. I can ooze into the mud or look for the light. And slowly the days get longer and hope rises.