Winter.

I feel like a tree. Like I was a mighty oak growing tall and strong in the summer sun.

And then my husband got cancer and I was shaken to my core. And the bitter winds and rain came, and stripped me of everything. And my leaves blew around me in a chaotic dance and settled at my feet. Who I was and what I knew died.

It is winter now, and even after the fall rains, I still stand tall. I’m more transparent now, but I am still standing. Winter brings a pause. A chance to reflect. A time of peace and calm. I am able to see my fallen leaves and know that I will be okay, that the fall was not the end.

I am so thankful for this pause. I need this time to process everything that is my life. It has only been 4 months. It has already been 4 months. Simultaneously fast and slow. Everything is different, as it slowly tries to creep back to the same.

And I can feel in this time of rest, that there is warmth around the corner. There is hope for tomorrow, that with the spring, comes rebirth and life.