Each fall as the leaves make their final journey to rest on earth, my heart fills with dread. I know what is coming. The cold air will nip my fingertips. The landscape will forget its green, its yellow, its orange, and don a singular grey. The sky will turn dark even as I pick up the kids and rush home. Windows will be closed, backyards will stay empty and parks will be haunted.
But this winter, my heart is singing a different tune. Even as I watch the winter waltz in, I am hopeful. Instead of despair, I feel an excitement bubbling. There is a special reason. It is not the holiday lights stoically dismissing the darkness in spots on my lane. It is not the inflated snowman on a neighbors porch that waves at me with its red scarf. It is not the coffee shop that promises me pumpkin spiced hot chocolate. It is not the radio station that has brought out its perkiest playlist.
The reason for my cheer lies quietly in a corner by the front door. It is my pair of felt-lined, long, black boots. Since its award last winter it has maintained its spot as ‘best gift ever‘ from the husband’.
So this winter, I wear my jacket, put on my boots and step outside with a smile. The cold does not scare me anymore. I pack my thankful toes into my new boots. The loneliness does not frazzle me anymore. I socialize with everyone with a new fervor. The dark doesn’t pull me down anymore. I feel a skip in my step even at sunset.