WINTER BLUES: Look for meaning, purpose

I write this article on Winter Solstice, the shortest day of the year, which also has a very special element to it—the conjunction of Saturn and Jupiter to the southwest.

The constellation Orion sits low to the east. Observing the night sky is how humankind has marked time and seasons for ages.

I have been thinking about existential things such as life and death and the meaning of it all lately.

I thought: isn’t winter a perfect symbol of those things? The living and green things have gone dormant, wildlife has hunkered down, and the sunshine is fleeting.

While I do long for warm sunny days, I know the cool days and cold nights are part of the life cycle, and hold value and meaning.

If it weren’t for the cold days, I would not appreciate the warm ones.

Winter brings a quiet beauty that summer does not provide. Winter, for me, offers an opportunity to stop, think, and postulate on the future ahead while processing what has come to pass.

What I am saying is, sometimes our minds feel warm and welcoming like a sunny day and other times it is gloomy and dark like a winter storm.

They are only seasons, after all, and are temporary.

How we navigate the seasons of our minds determines our tenacity and quality of life.

While the winter blues may feel very real and uncomfortable now, spring IS coming.

My hope is that this winter, my readers are able to reflect and find meaning and worth in their own lives and journey, rather than focusing on just survival, which is what so many are doing right now due to the pandemic, unemployment, and other woes.

The holidays tend to compound seasonal stress as well.

I hope you are able to take a deep breath, find reasons to continue forward, and keep marching during this holiday season.

I hope that despite adversity and challenges, you find meaning and purpose in this season.

I also hope that if you are struggling, you reach out for help.

As always, if you need help, there are resources available on the Oklahoma Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse website at www.odmhsas.org. If you or someone you know is considering suicide please call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255.

Sarah Mears-Ivy brings 12 years of experience in the field of human sciences and advocacy.