Endings and Beginnings

Winter is here. There's a chill in the air. It's time to bring out the mittens and warm socks. For hot chocolate or spiced tea. For sitting by a warm fire and reading a good book. Winter is also a reminder of our blessings. To say thanks, to share, for family, friends, and loved ones.

To send greetings to those near and far. To remember past times and to make new memories. It's a time for get togethers and to make new resolutions. It's a time for giving and receiving. For old traditions and new beginnings. It's a time to re-access our lives and for setting new goals.

It's not the gifts under the tree but the love in our hearts that counts. It's in being the best that we can possibly be. It's making the difference in the lives of others. In genuine caring. It's important to preserve what God has given us and to appreciate the gift of life we have chosen to experience.

It's starting each day with God and ending it with gratitude. It's in a willingness to learn new things. It's in actually seeing all that is around us instead of being so busy we are unaware. Nature is a gift only God could create. Take time to admire His artistry.

To see the changes of the leaves. The beauty of a snowflake. The crackle of ice crunching under your feet. All the animals with their winter coats. The birds in flight. The stars that light up the night sky. The sun as it rises over a mountain or sets over the sea.

The sound of a creek running, the icy freshness of its water. The crickets and frogs joining in conversation. Take time for it all. Winter is truly a thing of beauty. It is a time for us to slow down and to appreciate. To bundle, cuddle, for laughter and cheer. It is an ending of an old year, a shedding of what is past and a hope for the future. It is a part of the cycle of life. It can be the best of times.

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