Edited By: Tanvi Singh
Winter is steadily approaching.
The sky overhead is more often grey than it is blue, and there is a chill in the mornings and evenings, a clear sign of the incoming winter season.
I despise the winters. Sure, the outfits are cute—there are more opportunities for layering clothes, and cute boots and scarves and hats. But along with that come the chilly mornings when I wake up with a scratchy throat and struggle to get out of bed for class.
Winter means itchy sweaters and having to rely on space heaters to remain warm. Besides the mildly annoying physical pains that the cold weather brings, there’s the winter blues.
The sun rises later than usual, and it sets far earlier than I am used to. Every winter I feel like I’m battling with nature, hoping and praying that the sun will remain above the horizon for a tad longer, and that I will be able to feel its warmth on my skin for a few more moments.
Alas, mother nature doesn’t pay heed to my prayers. So, like clockwork, the Sun begins setting earlier and earlier every day, until in the blink of an eye the day has passed you by and it is dusk at half past five.
As the blue skies and bright sunlight morph into grey skies and filtered light, my mood becomes dull too. The lack of exposure to the Sun makes me feel listless and lethargic and it’s difficult to maintain a zest for life.
Perhaps the worst part is when you take an accidental afternoon nap and end up oversleeping. You wake up with a jerk– sweaty and thirsty. The sky outside has already darkened and you find yourself even more confused, unaware of where you are and what time it is.
It also absolutely does not help that it is this time of the year where the semester begins to wrap up and deadlines come barrelling towards you at a pace that is hard to keep up with. It is these moments that collectively make me despise winters.
But everything isn’t all bad, and there are silver linings to be found. Even as the cold creeps into the crevices of life, threatening to make it dull and depressing, there are moments of warmth that spark joy and happiness.
With winters comes an increased appreciation for my bed and warm blankets. When I happen to wake up before my alarm rings, and I can spend time snuggling in my warm bed, that’s happiness. It’s also a reminder to be grateful for the shelter and warmth that I am blessed to have.
Christmas music makes a grand comeback in our playlists this time of the year, and there’s nothing quite as uplifting as the jazzy carols blasting through my headphones.
“Hey, let’s go get some hot chocolate, it’s so cold today,” becomes a permanent part of my lingo, and so the snack runs with friends are constant. The hot chocolate warms my freezing hands and my belly, but the time spent with my friends is what warms my heart. There are also unending dinners spent laughing and throwing jokes across the table. The food may or may not be hot, but the quality time feels more special this time of the year.
There’s the small pleasure of walking into your room after you’ve been exposed to the chilly breeze on the way back from class, and the room isn’t necessarily warm, but it feels toasty and special just because.
There is also a promise of a long winter break ahead. Perhaps there are plans to travel to tropical countries halfway across the world, or only the intention of hibernating in bed all winter. Regardless, it is a time to rest and recuperate after a long year, and to pat yourself on the back for having made it! It is a time to bond with family, exchange gifts and make everlasting memories.
I may despise the winters for a myriad of reasons, but I cannot deny that it is also the most wonderful time of the year.