Have you ever stopped to really look at the world when it is in full bloom? There is something so easy about finding magic in the summertime. The sun is warm on your feathers, the flowers are vibrant, and everything feels like a celebration of life. John Burroughs reminds us that the capacity for wonder shouldn't be tied to the temperature or the season. He suggests that if we can learn to marvel at the lushness of summer, we possess the inner strength to find that same breathtaking beauty in the quiet, frozen stillness of winter. It is a beautiful invitation to keep our hearts open, no matter how much the landscape changes around us.
In our everyday lives, we often experience seasons that feel much like winter. We have those periods of intense growth and joy where everything seems to be going our way, much like a sunny July afternoon. But then, life brings the frost. We face periods of loss, loneliness, or stagnation that feel cold and colorless. It is very easy to close our hearts during these times, to pull our wings in tight and wait for the warmth to return. We tend to believe that beauty can only exist when things are easy and bright, but true wonder comes from seeing the value in the stillness as much as the bloom.
I remember a time when I felt quite lost, much like a little duckling caught in a sudden snowstorm. Everything I had worked for felt frozen and out of reach. I was so focused on the warmth I had lost that I completely missed the quiet elegance of the frost on the trees or the peaceful hush that settles over the world when it snows. I was waiting for summer to return so I could feel happy again, forgetting that the winter landscape has its own unique, crystalline splendor. It took me a long time to realize that the beauty hadn't vanished; it had simply changed its form.
Learning to find wonder in the winter of our lives is a skill we can practice. It means looking for the small, silver linings in the difficult moments—the strength we find in solitude, the clarity that comes with stillness, or the resilience we build when things are tough. It is about training our eyes to see the intricate patterns in the ice just as clearly as the petals on a rose. When we master this, we become much more grounded and much more resilient to the changing winds of life.
Today, I want to encourage you to look around your current surroundings, whatever season you might be in. If you are in a season of abundance, soak it up and cherish it. But if you find yourself in a colder, more difficult chapter, try to look a little closer. Is there a quiet strength or a hidden peace waiting to be discovered in the frost? Take a deep breath and try to find just one small thing to admire in the stillness today.