Pages

Monday, December 6, 2010

Winter and Meeting Me


"Hope is easy and belief is simple in a warm green world. Winter is the time when man most needs the securities of unshaken certainty, whether it is the Winter of the soul or the harsh Winter of the year. I must know Winter if I am to know Spring and Summer. And here is Winter, with its own wondering and its quiet and its own discoveries, its solstice and its turn." -Hal Borland





Winter is a time of deep reflection for me. 

I should know better by now, still it happens again and again that I live life believing I finally know myself. And just as often, I come to a point where I realize that I am, in fact, still getting to know this person I call 'me.'  After all, there is a constant stream of new experiences, and who am I to think these challenges won't form and change me? It's a miraculous thing when you look back and realize that something painful has actually helped you grow and become a better person. 

But it's not just the heavy, cathartic things which form you. Small things, words, gestures, feelings, new approaches, inspirations, and little discoveries can open doors to parts of you which were hidden. Sometimes I find a blog, a book, a new friend, or turn a new corner in the woods, and I'm given the opportunity to find new things about me, and also about the world. 

"Is this good? Is this the right thing to say or do? Will this have the potential to heal, or to hurt?" These are the thoughts I am trying to pause and turn over in my head before speaking or taking action.

The other day, I asked my husband to tell me how he would describe me to someone who had never met me. He said many beautiful things, which made me smile, and also included some critical points, which was very important to me. I wanted to know what the person I love and respect most thought I could benefit from working on. Try it!

xoxo country girl

15 comments:

  1. dawn...i enjoyed looking at your photos of your new home. it all looks so lovely and cozy...the bookshelf looks just like mine. i thought...is that MY bookshelf....i have all the same books :-)

    love seeing your sweetie doggys....kiki and boston look so darling together....

    happy to visit today and sending love,
    kary and teddy
    xxx

    ReplyDelete
  2. Oh Dawn it was so nice to see your blog. As always your writings and pictures are amazing! Look forward to seeing you here again soon!

    Blessings...
    xoxo Gert

    ReplyDelete
  3. Beautifully said. This was my first visit but definitely won't be my last. Your words and pictures are lovely. Thank you for sharing them! =)

    ReplyDelete
  4. Dearest Dawn,
    Everything about this post is lovely; the quote by Hal Borland, the snow, and of course the doglets...it looks as though they have christened the new sofa!
    It is a well known phrase 'what doesn't kill you makes you stronger' and it is so very true. You and I both certainly know this to be the case and I am grateful that we are who we are today as a result of our pasts.
    The description question sounds very enlightening and I shall definitely be asking Nathan for his true depiction of me good and bad!
    Lots of love
    Morwenna
    xoxo

    ReplyDelete
  5. Beautiful pictures as always; and such inspiring words! ♥

    ReplyDelete
  6. Hello Country Girl!
    Do you know that I am also reading Gladys Taber? I keep ordering more and more tattered tomes. They are wonderful - I LOVE her writer's voice. Oh, you shall continue to discover the mystery that is you. It's living's sweet privilege.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Dearest Dawn, a thoughtful & lovely post as always. I so agree that you have to face the not so admirable traits in yourself in order to know 'you' fully. I so try & be honest about mine and change little by little. It's hard work! Wonderful pictures too, love the way that Boston has just slotted into all your lives, bless his heart - and bless Kiki for being so accepting. Love to you this frosty day xoxo Rachel

    ReplyDelete
  8. Love this post and the images you chose to go with it...

    I feel like a constant work in progress as well, and I love the honest, supportive role my husband plays in that progress.

    Your books are beautiful. I wish I could physically flip through and smell them. Do you ever do that? They just LOOK like they have that wonderful, well-read old book smell. It's the very reason I could spend ALL DAY in a used book shop.

    ReplyDelete
  9. Mmmm...absorbing images and words...such a beautiful way to start my day...

    ReplyDelete
  10. Your pups are so darn cute. And don't you find those furry creatures photograph so well? Great blog and keep up the good work!

    ReplyDelete
  11. It is truly a good thing to know ourselves....to admit to those certain things that are the negatives in us and to also know those good things too. We are a work in progress on a daily basis. Nice thoughts...
    Thanks for the visit...please come back again, you are always welcome!! Have a great week!

    ReplyDelete
  12. It is a reflective time. I just love the photo of your sweet dogs in the snow! They are adorable! I wish I had one, but no $$!!!

    ReplyDelete
  13. Your new home is coming along so nicely and this post is so classic you (something I've missed). It;s nice to see your posts again Dawn.
    Thinking of you as you settle into your home and get ready for Christmas.
    xox

    ReplyDelete
  14. Love the pictures of Kiki and Boston. Love the books on your bookshelf. Okay, I love all the pictures and the entire post :)

    With any luck, getting to know ourselves is a lifelong project, because we just keep growing.

    ReplyDelete

LinkWithin

Related Posts with Thumbnails