Winter Blessings

Although recent frigid temperatures have many of us longing for the coming of spring, we actually have many good reasons to be thankful for the season of winter:

• Most people sleep better in rooms with cooler temperatures

• The air is cleaner because of lower ozone levels

• Cold temperatures kill disease-carrying insects, such as mosquitos and ticks, and tree-killing bugs, such as the emerald ash borer

• The cells in our body that fight infection increase when we are exposed to cold weather

• Cold temperatures reduce inflammation in our bodies

• More time indoors leads to increased connec-tion with far-away family and friends by phone

• Winter fosters our gratitude for warmth and light

The fortitude that we build in winter can cross over to our spiritual lives. Are we willing to stick out the days that lack sunshine and roses—when prayer seems stale, our energy is at a low ebb, or illness/death shakes our faith—trusting that these times also hold a blessing for us? Do we believe that God is present in trying times as well as in times of smooth sailing?

We can all learn from the faith-filled reaction of one of our monastic elders, Sr. Cyprian, when she was faced with surgery to have an eye removed. “Everything else in my life has always turned out okay, and this will too,” she said. All life holds blessing, whether the temperature outside is cold or hot, whether we have all our original body parts or not. As with so much of life, trust and gratitude are keys to finding the goodness that is our lifelong companion.