So, I have been hiding out from the world for the last few weeks. The winter weather has been the perfect excuse to stay home, to avoid friends, to hunker down. Yesterday I put on my biggest boots and warmest jacket. I shoved headphones in my ears and put my shades on to keep some kind of barrier between me and those I might encounter on my walk. I picked my way along the riverside, heading to the lake and my favourite bench. A few others had the same idea, and it turns out that headphones and shades are no match for the kindness of strangers inspired to stop and share a few words by the sheer beauty of the winter landscape. Snowflakes are tiny, delicate, fragile. Yet, when enough of them pile up, they become heavy, overwhelming. Sometimes we bend under the weight until the build-up falls off and we spring back. Sometimes, we break. My favourite spot had a very visual reminder for me yesterday; even if the branches break, the tree still stands. And sometimes if we are patient enough, the sunlight catches the falling snow and turns it into magic…
