Oh winter.

The dark. The cold. The quiet.

The days when all we want to do is hide under a cozy blanket with a cup of tea and a comfort movie.

But our mind and heart insist on reflecting on the year behind us. On the sadness and the mistakes, the loss and the heartbreak. What we could have done better, and what we wish we hadn’t done at all.

And we hold onto hope as we plan for the year ahead. We make goals and create vision boards and dream of all the things we hope to accomplish. All the ways we can become the best version of ourselves.

What we don’t often spend a lot of time doing is loving ourselves.

Appreciating who we are—not who we want to become but the version of us that exists right now. The version of us that exists when we’re not spending time trying to do or be what’s expected or needed of us.

The version we’re left with when it’s dark and cold and quiet. When we’re alone.

I had one of those moments today. But instead of sitting with it, I found myself trying to quiet the thoughts in my head by scrolling on my phone.

And that’s when I came upon this poem. It was short and unfamiliar. But the first three lines felt like a call to my heart:

“Tell yourself
as it gets cold and grey falls from the air
that you will go on…”

The poem is “Lines for Winter,” written by Canadian-American poet Mark Strand. And if you’re in need of a little self-love during these dark, cold months, I hope his words cut through all the sadness and reflection and loss and give you a few moments to fall in love with this exact version of yourself.

Read the rest of the poem below:

 

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