It’s been said by many throughout the ages that the earth, moon, sun, sky and entire creation is a means to love, fueled by an energy Source that permeates all life forms and is known by many names and no name. This being true, we are all means to love, along with our children, ancestors, friends, associates, strangers and even our so called enemies. The paradox is that we also have the capacity to not align with this Source, not choose love and consciously and unconsciously resist love to choose fear and all that comes with it. The choice to love is ever present and ours to choose and not.

Winter’s invitation to love comes in the light of the days, the darkness of the nights, the cold of the snow and the warmth of the hearth. It comes in the births of our children and the deaths of our parents. It comes in the white of the snow and the darkness of the night. It comes in the gifts we give and receive, in our tears and laughter, in the grace of an embrace, in the challenging and mysterious relationships with all things. To choose love is an ongoing invitation asking us to awaken to the wonders of Life.

In the winter season of barrenness, we are humbled to find warm places for our bodies and also for our hearts. The cold and starkness of the environment reminds us of our dependence on one another and  the elements of earth, air, fire and water. We are also reminded of our interconnectedness with the plants, animals and cycles of nature for our survival and of our divine longing for sustenance, shelter and companionship. In the silence of the falling snow, we ponder the gift of life and give thanks for it.

Decades ago I spent a winter alone in a primitive log cabin at eleven thousand feet in the Colorado Rockies. Each day was a day of silence and wonder. I was humbled by the mystery of life and the wonder of the moments. I would sit for hours watching the weather, the storms coming in from the west and wonder why I was there, why the love of my life had abandoned me and what these moments were asking of me. The invitation to love plunged me deep into my own soul and into the soul of winter. The one room cabin became a womb, a birthing place of grace. An awakening space.

My loss became my gain, again and again. I found a safe place for me, beyond false pride to integrity. It was a place called home deep inside myself; a place where I could live into my true authentic self. The white world of snow reflected a love for me that helped me grow. What seemed dead invited me back to life, beyond what I thought I could ever know. Finally, in the month of May I walked down the mountain to begin a new day. Winter’s invitation to love opened my heart, showed me its soul and freed a love in me that I could finally know. Daily now, I listen for the invitation to Love. You too?

• As you encounter the days, weeks, and months of winter; awaken to the subtle energy of the season. Feel the wonder of the snow days. Drop your agendas for awhile to walk in the snow, feel the cold on your cheeks, warm yourself by the fire. . . .
• Take time this month to slow way down and listen to the invitation to love that winter calls you to. Stop, Look, Listen and be present to the sounds of silence, experience the darkness and the light, create a different pace that’s filled with grace. . . .
• Choose love for your family and friends and……choose love for you again and again and again. Notice what happens when you slow down, listen, look, love, laugh and lighten up. Allow yourself to be surprised by joy and a peaceful serenity. . . .