Today I took a late afternoon walk in the steadily falling snow. At first I resisted the cold, but as I walked I started to warm up and enjoy the creak of the snow with every step and the refreshing, clean taste of the air. Midway through my walk I stopped and just listened. There was no sound but the hiss of the snow as it hit my coat. I took a deep breath and drank in the stillness, the quiet. I thought of the myriad forms of life sleeping beneath the snow, waiting patiently for their chance to grow and bloom

Winter brings us the gift of stillness and of quiet. If we take the time to listen, we will hear the whisper of our inner wisdom, our deepest desires. The seeds of happiness are already planted within us. They need time and patient tending to grow. Winter is the perfect season for planning adventures and nurturing dreams.

Returning from my walk I noticed that the twinkly white lights on our fruit trees that are on a timer had come on. Before the Solstice they had come on as darkness fell, but now it was still light as they came to life. The light is returning and new beginnings are stirring. I invite you to make time for stillness and quiet and celebrate the seeds of happiness already planted in your life.