Hi. Welcome to “Living in a Body.” Special welcome to all the new subscribers! I hope you’ll introduce yourself in the comments. I’d love to get to know you better. Press PLAY above to hear the podcast version of this episode. (4 min)
The Scent of Freshly Fallen Snow
We had a beautiful snowfall in Northeast Ohio this week. Yesterday, there were still five or six inches of pure white fluff covering everything in sight. In this strange age of global warming, it seemed almost surprising to get so much snow this early in the season. It feels kinda like the good old days of winter in Ohio. I've been reminded that there's nothing quite like the scent of freshly fallen snow in December. I love it.
Several times a day, I wheel myself to the back door to smell the winter air. I open the sliding glass door and I poke my head out just enough to take a deep breath in through my nose. I'd forgotten how good snow smells, especially when it's freshly fallen. It's so clean and crisp and full of memories. I've been pausing there in the cold for a few minutes as I practice appreciating my life. And I smile. It makes me happy that this has become such an important part of my day. It feels like I'm finally getting my priorities straight.
Whenever you get the chance, I encourage you to breathe in some freshly fallen snow. Just open up the door and let the winter air waft through your senses. I've learned that the fresher the fall, the more potent the scent. It starts to fade after a couple days. If you've got no snow, find something else to smell. Maybe it'll be the subtle scent of sunshine in December or the distant neighbor's bonfire or the traffic filled vibrant life of a city street. Whatever it is, I hope you'll poke your head outside just long enough to breathe it all in. Remember to pause and feel it in your body… and then smile. And I hope you’ll come back and tell me all about it. I'm dying to know.
A friend reminded me this morning that it’s the small things that are actually the big things. I got to play a game of “Splendor” with my nephew this afternoon. My sister, Caroline’s in town from Colorado and I got to feel her hand on my back while I cried in my bed this week. For the first time in three years, I’ve got a real Christmas tree in my house. Big thanks to Cameron Mack for helping to make that happen. Next week, I get to welcome my daughter's fiancé into my home for the very first time.
Whether these are big things or little things, I’m doing my best to breathe it all in and feel the fullness of my life through some very difficult times. I like to imagine that my dad’s watching over all of this and crying grown man tears with me right now.
My wish for you during this sacred season of dark and light is that you find a few moments of peace as you pause to breathe in the fresh scent of December. I’m sending you the warmest of wishes as we close up another year. Thank you so much for being here. Thank you for your kind attention. And don't forget. Enjoy living in that body of yours. It’s not gonna be around forever. I’ll try to do the same. See you next time. ❤️ Hal
The Scent of Freshly Fallen Snow