That Winter Feeling
For anyone struggling from that Winter Feeling
BGM while writing: Sepia Tears - Idle Winter
That Winter feeling.
Where everyone feels that bit more worn down.
Where that liminal space between here
and the future
seems to flourish.
Where the commutes are just that bit more uncomfortable.
It's that time of year that people either excitedly look forward to for the festivities, or dread the thought of them.
But after those are over? Just the cold and the dark to contend with until the spring arrives.
A girl hides herself away in a cafe; a brief respite from the cold and the dark, wondering if this cold spell is the
last hurrah of the season.
A man hunches over a work desk, staring out the window of the office building, but quickly realises the scene outside is
little comfort, and becomes unsure of which side of the window he needs distracting from.
A child drudges through the bitter wind and grey streets, a mainstay of their commute to and from school. They curse the
flurry of winter illnesses they keep dodging, hoping they don't catch whatever latest one is going around their classroom.
A nurse looks over her schedule for the day; another long day of winter illnesses and injuries to help mend. As rewarding
as she finds her job, she can't help but get overwhelmed by the higher workload the cold season provides her and her
coworkers.
That Winter feeling.
Where one could put much of the blame of their melancholy on the time of year under the label of “winter blues”, and no
matter how true it may be, for a time have the unchangeable orbit of the earth to hold liable. A convenient outlet to
vent out frustrations onto, to curse under our breath, and to wish would go away.
The girl sees the start of snowfall from out the cafe window, dreading the cold bus home. She checks the forecast and
prays it won't last too long this time.
The man finishes his work day, and departs his office once more to a near-pitch black night sky. Getting in his car, he
flinches at the cold steering wheel and pivots to put on the heating to maximum.
The child gets home, plopping the bag down in the hallway as they toss aside their shoes. They bolt upstairs to their
room to change into warmer clothes, before sitting down in a chair to huddle in front of the TV.
The nurse makes herself a tea in the break room, looking across the room to her friend looking through the fridge. She
places the tea on a coffee table as she sighs and collapses on the sofa.
That Winter feeling.
That feeling of longing for time to skip ahead. That feeling of waiting for sunnier and warmer days, and of praying for
it to come soon.
But the one piece of solace worth remembering, is that it will come eventually. As we curse the earth for its orbit,
it's already well on its way to providing the next season, preparing itself for the spring.
As the girl gathers her things from her cafe table.
As the man sits in dark and cold evening traffic.
As the child huddles by the radiator in the living room.
As the nurse picks herself up for another shift of winter illnesses.
That winter feeling is trudging through a cold and unwelcoming time of year, not quite sure which freezing snow spell
will be the last. It's not having enough sunlight in the day, and bundling up in layers while sitting around feeling
dejected.
But that winter feeling will end. And it's end will bring brighter and warmer days. So to all of those with that winter
feeling, and who can't quite shake the melancholy it brings: you aren't alone in that feeling, and remember that brighter
days are coming.