5 Reasons I Love Winter

You don’t sweat as much.

You may think I’m kidding but if you’ll remember from the “5 Reasons I Love Fall” post, I live in the midst of Satan’s sauna. Summer days are found with a heat index of 110 and 98% humidity. Everything is sticky and moist and gross. It is physically impossible to look decent or be comfortable for long. You dress with the mindset of someone going on a survival mission. “What will serve me best in this climate?” That tapers off in the winter. Don’t get me wrong. We regularly have Christmases in the 80s but at least the humidity is turned down a few notches. As much as I despise being cold, it is still preferable.

Everything is themed.

Y’all know I love a themed party and as far as I’m concerned that is how the world treats October through December. One big party where the theme keeps changing. We decorate our homes, businesses and even cars. We have themed music and themed food. We wear themed outfits and accessories. It really is fantastic in my opinion and allows us to let loose a bit and find our inner child.

Togetherness with friends and family.

Loved ones are important. Those may be your family, friends, coworkers. Whomever you do life with and the holidays make us slow down and be intentional about spending time with each other. I know that brings its own stresses and it’s not always perfect but I can say with certainty that I see those I love more often during these few months than I do during other seasons. It’s nice to have to slow down and come together.

Memories come flooding back.

Speaking of family and togetherness, do you notice how memories just come flooding back during all the holiday get togethers? Grandpa tells the squirrel in the tree story for the 20th year. Your aunt and mother reminisce about how your grandmother used to decorate her silver tree. Your brother and you fight over who will get the incredibly important and utterly worthless Christmas book you’ve read since y’all were kids. I don’t know why but to me even my loved ones that have gone on to be with the Lord seem closer during this season. There is nothing sweeter to me than sitting around and laughing over Christmases long ago and creating memories for the younger ones to reminisce about one day as well.

Hopeful expectations for the future.

To many, winter represents the death of many things which is true in some ways but I find that I prefer to think of it as an ending… a chapter closing. My best friend and I have an old tradition where we make predictions concerning the new year and then seal them away until the next December. Those predictions are full of expectations for what the future might hold. All that the Lord may have planned for the next 12 months. Believe me, this year has been a HUGE lesson in how fast life can change and how the Lord is always working in our lives, even if we can’t see it at the moment. Winter gives me a chance to reflect on all of the Lord’s faithfulness and to look expectantly and hopefully towards the future. This I do most assuredly now…