How we survive winter

Cat Green, November 9th

Dear Friends,

I felt very proud of myself for waking up before my alarm on Sunday. It wasn’t until close to two that I remembered that we had fallen back, the time had changed, and I hadn’t woken up that early at all. That afternoon, it began to grow dark by 4:30, and as I sat in the library drinking tea, I felt my gut sink at the prospect of a whole winter full of dark evenings and cold nights.

I’m not the only person who feels this way. I know that winter is hard for so many of us. It feels lonelier and scarier than summer, especially in pandemic times when indoor socialization is still a question mark. The trees grow bare, the sky grows grey, and our days grow short. 

Yesterday, just when I was beginning to despair, the bell rang at the Friends House for dinner. I went downstairs and I found my community and a hot meal (curry risotto, for what it’s worth). I ate, and I talked, and it seemed possible that the winter would not ruin me. I’m incredibly lucky to live at the Friends House, where at any moment I can find a community member willing to talk. But even if I lived alone, I think that I would be protected from the harshest parts of winter by finding community all around me. 

As the seasons change and fall turn into winter, my hope for you is that you find warmth: physical and emotional, and spiritual, wherever that might be for you. Remember that you are not alone in this season and that it is an act of bravery to reach out to someone for connection. And before we know it, spring will come again.

In addition to this message, I’m excited to invite you to our upcoming events! As always, you can see all of our events at bhfh.org/events. I invite you to find community in a morning meditation, a MIDWEEK, or an upcoming workshop.

In peace,
Cat Green
BHFH Program Fellow