The Snow Persisted

Anika’s Zen and the Power of Gratitude. A new weekly column.  Every Sunday.

 

The Doves Arrived

 

Every year, birds come to my garden to have their young ones. And every year, I look at this unfolding and react like the miracle it is! The first ones to arrive are the doves, then the robins, the sparrows and finally the blue Jays, the Cardinals and all the other birds. Observing the doves have their little ones is fascinating. Watching the male patiently wait for the female to approve the chosen nest, settle down to have their little ones, right in time for Spring. A few years back, the moment one pair of doves was done with their family, that every evening another pair of doves, would occupy the premises and so on. That year, I counted 3 pairs of doves having their babies one after another, using the same nest. How divine!

 

 

Sun-Loving Girl

 

Those who know me, know that I am a sun-loving person! In fact, I love the sun so much, that I even went back to check what day of the week was I born on. That’s correct – it was a Sunday! Were I a flower, I would have been a sunflower. If I was an animal, I probably would have been a sea lion – like the ones you see on 32nd pier in San Francisco, sunbathing all day! If there was any country that I could choose to be born in, perhaps I would choose one of the Caribbean islands, but with better internet! So yes, I love the sun. A lot. Which also makes Summer, my favorite season by far!

 

There’s so much to love about Summer. I like swimming in the open water with the sun hitting the water, biking and walking in the afternoon, and lazing around in the hammock with a book, the mind slowly drifting into siesta, that only a hot sun can cause!  Even sunrises and sunsets seem brighter during summer! The feel of sand between my toes, the sound of a warm ocean, the tingling of shaved ice and the magic of fireflies – there’s enough to love about summer – perhaps to even write an entire book on the subject!

 

But this is the first time in almost 20 years that I was sad to hear the doves arriving today, realizing that winter is almost over.

 

What Changed?

 

 

I was so shocked at what I felt that I had to take a few steps back to figure out what’s going on? What happened to the sun-loving girl and how is she not excited that spring and, eventually, summer was finally here?

 

That’s when I realized that for the very first time in my life, I had finally embraced the four seasons, with winter being the final barrier!

 

What You Resist, Persists

 

My meditation teacher says what you resist, persists. This winter definitely proved it. You see, we have had an unusually cold, snow-laden winter this year. And though it is not enough to set any new records, it is still a lot more than what we have seen in the past few years. This February was the 5th snowiest one ever recorded in the Newark region and the fourth snowiest one on record in many parts of my state. This is according to data from the National Weather Service. In fact, even as I write this, the snow is yet to melt, with all of us getting used to the white stuff being around as a permanent fixture!

 

It made me think. Is that what it takes? That we have to immerse ourselves with what we are trying to escape? Is what we resist, going to follow us, till we embrace it? What changed? The winter did not. In fact, it was colder than the previous years.

 

Looking back, what changed was my acceptance of it – and accept it I did. To the point where the end of this winter, saddens me.

 

The Window Did It!

 

At home, my office desk is next to a window that looks into my backyard. It is through this window that I saw the first flurries of the season, the first big snow fall and all the winter storms that followed suit. In fact, there was a time when even before the snow had a chance to melt, more fell on it, creating a permanent white carpet, many inches thick!

 

For the first time, I actually enjoyed winter and the accompanying snow. Maybe it is because I could work next to a window and observe the falling snow like a witness to the moment. I was not rushing into New York on a 6 AM bus, cold and walking on the sidewalks through slush and ice. I did not care if the snow from my car was cleared up as I was in no hurry to go anywhere, for a change. In fact, it was almost therapeutic to see those little snowflakes fall from the sky, like blessings on the ground. All, while being toasty with my little personal heater, watching it all unfold, through my window. Like a witness to time.

 

In Gratitude for The Snow

 

 

I arrived in the US from Bombay, India – a city right next to the Arabian Sea, filled with tropical sunshine! Movies and picture postcards aside, getting used to any season, other than tropical-all-year-round took many decades. Over time, I was able to embrace spring and fall – seasons that signified growth and harvest. But winter? Even the lights of Christmas and the cheer of parties could not get me to like this season!

 

When people spoke about enjoying all 4 seasons, I had no idea what they were talking about and could not relate. But this year, the pause helped me to finally enjoy and embrace the snow. I was able to celebrate its existence, watching it, as a silent witness, through the window. I was able to meditate and reflect on how important it was to go through the cold and harsh, so the plants (and I) could hibernate and bloom during the warm and sunny season!

 

Admittedly I never thought I would ever say that I am sad to see winter go, but here I am and go it must, to make way for another season and another round of changes. The doves are here and so are the robins. Soon, my front porch will be filled with the screeches of hungry young ones, looking for yummy worms to grow and fly! I wonder what Spring has in store for me, what kind of metamorphosis, learnings and new growth will it bring in its midst?  But for now, I am grateful for the pause of winter and the magic of the snow – that I got to experience and accept from my window. For the very first time!

 

Read my previous blogs below:

• Anika’s Zen and the Power of Gratitude
• Sack Full of Breaths
• The Power of Silence: A Date with Myself
• Travel Through the Glass
• The Elusive Trophy
• The Joy of Everyday
• Does Love Have a Color?
• My Neighborhood, My Tribe

 

Anika Sharma is a digital thought leader, a mother, a professor at New York University’s Stern School of Business. She was recently named as one of the top 150 digital global leaders to follow in 2021. When she is not busy working or raising her two teenage children, you can find her planting herbs in her garden, meditating with her friends, swimming long laps or filling rooms with her cackling laughter. Contact her at anikadas@gmail.com or on twitter

 

If you enjoyed this blog, read about the Many Benefits of Gratitude. and the Rules of Simple Living.