Amera Wild
Social media posts counting the days until spring are already appearing. We can feel the urge to join in. Even though the official start of winter is still a week away, the shorter daylight hours, colder temperatures, and long stretches of gray can already feel heavy, especially as evenings stretch on.
But winter is not an interruption of life. It is one of its essential phases, with its own set of blessed necessities.
Winter has clear purposes. For nature, it is a time of rest and renewal. Plants go dormant to conserve energy, growing stronger roots for a beautiful reappearance in spring. Snow and ice store water, releasing it gradually as temperatures rise. Insects, animals, and microbes move through long-established life cycles, resting, sheltering, and waiting for the right time to emerge. These processes are not only ways to survive, but they are the result of evolution shaped by the Earth’s tilt and seasonal rhythms.
These same rhythms influence us, too. Nature shows us how to slow our activity, inviting rest, care, and reflection, while quietly building our own endurance. There are gifts in winter itself. The stillness. The quiet. The clean air. When we take a closer look, we notice crisper night skies and how much more we can see through bare trees. Even the colors outside feel different, echoed in simple holiday décor.
When we stop fighting the season and meet it where it is, winter becomes something we can live alongside, not just something to get through.
Spending time outdoors, even in brief moments, helps us stay connected to nature’s rhythm. Winter is one of the most peaceful times to sit on a bench or slow walk many of our area’s accessible trails, including Webb City’s Cardinal Valley Restoration Area. You don’t have to be a hiker to enjoy the fresh air, the softer colors, and the way everything seems a little quieter.
Winter doesn’t exist just to be endured until spring arrives. It has its own quiet work to do. Much of life’s most important work happens when growth is not visible. Nature isn’t rushing toward spring. Maybe we don’t have to either.