Blessed Are The Meek

I woke up this morning to a beautiful mild winter's day. I always feel invigorated early in the morning, excited for the day to come.  I am usually the first person to wake up, even before the alarm clock.  So I took the time to read my scripture for the day.  It came from Matthew 5:5 (NIV)

"Blessed are the meek for,  they will inherit the earth."

 As I was contemplating this, the early morning news came on and brought with it reports of war, industrial strikes, murders and retaliations. I realized how far we as a human race have strayed from the concept of being 'meek'.  The world we are living in today teaches us to take a stand for our human rights.  We march the streets with placards shouting slogans against every conceivable infringement of our rights. Often these protests result in violence and riots.  In the name of our rights we break one another down, we plunder and destroy. In the name of human rights criminals, rapists and murderers have more rights than the victims of the crime.  Of course I am not against human rights and standing up for them, but I am wondering if how we go about it, is really the way we should do it?

Think again about this sentence: 

"Blessed are the meek..."

Most people understand meekness to mean weakness.  We think of somebody who is meek as a person without spunk, unable to think for himself, feeble, dull and powerless.  Yet when we look at the Bible's definition of meek we discover a totally different scenario.  The Bible translates "meekness" as "strength under control".  When a person is thus referred to as "meek', it does not imply that he is weak, but rather that he is a person who has control over his actions, his temper and his reactions.  Meekness is one of the fruits of the Spirit and through an attitude of meekness we testify that the Spirit of the Lord is at work within and through us.  Moses was one of the most influential people of the Bible, yet he is said to have been a meek servant of God.  He had submitted himself to the Lord's will and obeyed His decrees with patience and humility.

Being meek does not mean that we allow the world to walk all over us, or give people the right to take advantage of us.  It does not mean that we condone injustice or persecution, or are too weak to stand by our beliefs and convictions.  It means that we submit our will to the will of God.  Our actions are governed by our faith and our submission to the Spirit of God.  When we take action it is always under the leadership of the Holy Spirit.

It is easy to go out into the world with fists flying, cursing and standing our ground with a show of power.  We are quick to threaten, we write long letters to the newspapers about injustices and we sue those who wrong us with ease.  It is far more difficult to control our tempers, and to seek the Lord's guidance.  Being meek and gentle go directly against what the world demands that we do.  Yet, if we act with meekness, when we exhibit strength under control, our reward will be peace as is promised in 

Psalms 37:11 - But the meek shall inherit the earth; and shall delight themselves in the abundance of peace.

Go then, walk in the strength of meekness and gentleness, and conquer your adversaries by the power of the Spirit within you.

Come along, let's run!

So, you want to become a runner?

Well, if you are anything like me, you would answer "It is something I have dreamed about, but me, run, NEVER!"

Today, people find it hard to believe that I never used to run.  They are astounded that I evolved from walking 2 minutes and running 1 minute, to running marathons.  To tell you the truth, so am I!  Never in my wildest dreams did I ever think it would be possible!  Four years ago I would have called you crazy for even just thinking I could run 5k's!

So how did I do it?  This is a question I am often asked.  First of all, I am NO expert.  Any advice or information I share I only share from personal experience and nothing more.  However, this morning at our local parkrun I was once again asked how did I do it, thus I decided to share some thoughts on running, here on my blog.

My journey started three years ago when my daughter announced that she would love to do one of the world's most beautiful half marathons, the Two Ocean's in Cape Town.  However, she did not want to do it alone, and as we know mothers never want to disappoint our children, so I said that I will do it with her...

...as soon as I said it, the shock set in.  The first thing I did the following Monday was to visit our doctor.  So MOST importantly - go see your doctor, tell him about your plan and let him do a full health assessment.  I was declared healthy if not fit. (I think I was secretly hoping he would declare me insane!)

Walking out there I was at a loss of how to proceed further.  Any previous attempt at running I had made started with me running at full speed out of our yard and collapsing near death three blocks down the road, thus ending with me declaring that running was not for me!  Now, I realized that I needed a plan.  At the beginning of the year my sister-in-law had sent me a walk/run program.  I went home looking for it and started following it.

So, after getting yourself checked out by a physician, the second thing to do, is to find a good program suited to your needs.  I am a firm believer in the walk/run program for novices like myself.  It slowly but steadily introduces a person to running, keeping injuries and despair at bay.  Jeff Galloway is the father of this program and I share the link to his website below.  Please check it out.

http://www.jeffgalloway.com/training/run-walk/

The very next day, April 2014, I started the program.  I still remember that it was quite a hot day and I felt as if the 1 minute running was never going to end.  Half an out later I was back home, having done 20 minutes of walking and 10 minutes of running.  My journey had started.

The third most important piece of advice I have to give you is this:  DO NOT put it off.  Get out there now, and DO IT!  I forced myself to stick to the program by setting a reminder on my phone for every time I have to go train, and no matter what I was busy with at the time, I would stop doing it and go run.

As my daughter and I are living more than a 100km apart, we were not able to run together, but as soon as either of us went for our run we would let the other one know.  It helped to keep us motivated and focused on our mutual goal.  So, my fourth piece of advice: get yourself a running buddy or supporter.  Share your goal with them and enlist their help to motivate you.  Joining a running club is a good idea. Running with like-minded people is inspiring.  Often helpful advice is shared among the members.  Running in a group helps those kilo's to pass by in the blink of an eye. No, you do not have to be a strong runner before you join a club.  Running clubs are always happy to help novices in the sport.

That is it for today.  I hope this has helped and inspired you to take up the sport of running.  Watch this blog for some more thoughts on running next week.  I leave you with this thought:

You Are Worthy!

We live in a time of financial upheaval.  The cost of living is rising at an alarming rate.  When comparing the prices of goods from a year ago to today's prices it is clear that everything has increased considerably.  Money is very important in our daily lives and we are constantly looking for ways to make more money as well as ways to save money.  We want the best possible product and service for as little money as possible.  We value most things in terms of their monetary value.  However, we are all aware that there are many things which money cannot buy.  Yet we still attach a certain value to it.

We even weigh ourselves and attach a value label to ourselves.  Sadly, we most often de-value ourselves. We think of ourselves as unworthy.  I have an art student who has really made phenomenal progress in a very short time.  I asked her recently why she is not using her sketchbook, but only draws on scrap pieces of paper?  Her answer was that she was not good enough yet to spoil the pages in her sketchbook.  I asked her when she thought she would be "good enough"?  She did not answer me, but I could see the answer in her eyes: "never".  She will never think of herself as good enough to draw in her sketchbook.  She deemed her work and talent unworthy of a R60 sketchpad.

Most of us are guilty of this.  We under-value ourselves.  We wait for somebody to put a stamp of approval on our work, we wait for an award or the accolade of people before we would think of ourselves or our work as good enough.  We compare our work, our talents and ourselves to others and according to our own observations, we attach a price tag to our efforts.  A price tag which states "not good enough"!  We believe that we have to earn the approval of others to be worthy.  We believe that, only if, we are first over the line, or in the top of our class or made president of the company or get the award for achiever of the year have we earned the right to make a mark on the sketch pad of our lives.

This misguided evaluation of ourselves leads to disappointment and despair.  We start to believe that we are a failure.  In the end, we give up trying and we give up on our dreams.  Yes, it is important to measure ourselves in order to take note of our progress and to evaluate the areas where we may have to improve.  We have to take stock of our abilities and our weaknesses in order to determine the areas of our lives which we have to still develop further, but it is important to give ourselves recognition and to evaluate ourselves fairly.  We have to give ourselves credit and reward ourselves along the way.  Be proud of your own achievements and progress.  Value yourself for the uniquely gifted person you are.  Above all acknowledge that you are worthy.  Come on, take out that blank book you have been saving, and make your mark in it with a bold hand!

Tribute to Mr. Nelson Rolihlahla Mandel

                            Today is the birthday of one of the world's most amazing human beings,                              Mr. Nelson Mandela, and I would like to share a poem I have written after                 his death in December 2013.

Tribute to Mr. Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela

Rejoice people of Thembu,
lift your hands and shout, Mvezo,
for a child of pride and joy
has been born
in your humble village.

Lift your head, oh Africa,
hold your breath and wait,
deliverance is on your doorstep,
justice is awaiting its day.

A young cub has risen,
a mighty lion has roared
and his touch has transformed
the hearts of all races,
bringing democracy
to our dark continent.

Son of Africa,
prisoner and president,
father of a mighty nation,
we honour you.

You filled our eyes
with a new vision,
you brought hope
to your children,
reconcilliation and peace
were upon your lips.

Today we mourn,
we bow our heads and pray:
Nkosi sikelel' iAfica,
Hamba Kahle, Madiba.

© Charmaine Fourie, All rights reserved.

Created to Be.

All children are artists.

The problem is how to remain an artist once he grows up. 

-Pablo Picasso

Today I want to talk about something which is very close to my heart.  Creativity.  The dictionary in short describes it as "the use of the imagination or original ideas, especially in the production of an artistic work", and although I do not disagree, creativity is so much more than that.

In the past creativity was a topic which was seldom discussed.  People paid little attention to it, as linear thinking was seen to be of greater importance.  Logical thinking was encouraged and schools focused on developing mathematical skills and teaching students to understand the natural order of everything in life.  Creativity was neatly labeled and put into a box, to be taken out once or twice a week during the art class.  Even then students were taught about doing art in a certain way. After all, ducks were yellow and trees green, and that was that.  The result was that many generations grew up believing that creativity belonged to a very small, select and ultimately weird group of people.  They accepted the label which had been given to them by their parents, teachers or society:

"You are not creative."

Today this idea of creativity belonging to only an eclectic group has changed.  More and more people are acknowledging their own creativity.  Unfortunately, far too many people still believe that they are not at all creative.  The truth, however, is that everybody is born creative.  It is a part of our DNA.  We are the creations of a Devine Creative Being, thus, since we have been created in His image, it just stands to reason that we, too, must be creative.  Yet, most of us grow up believing that we are not creative.  It is a lie we have been conditioned to believe and we hold onto it despite our souls screaming out against it.

Another fallacy we so readily believe is that creativity equals fame.  People believe that only those people who receive awards or accolades are really creative.  This is absolutely not true.  No trophy, diploma or certificate can make you creative. You are not an artist because your paintings sell for millions of dollars, you are not a writer because you are on the bestseller list.  You are an artist, a sculptor or a creative genius because you are answering the call of your soul.  It is what you do.  You do not need an award to validate your creativity.

So what is creativity?  First of all, I believe that creativity is not something external.  It comes from deep inside of us.  It is like a pearl nestled within an oyster at the bottom of the sea.  Creativity is not confined to any particular object, concept or activity.  We confine it to certain activities like painting, singing or dancing, but in reality, creativity does not exclusively belong to those activities.  Creativity is part of our psyche and it is found all around us and in every area of life.  We do not need to be painters or sculptors to be creative.  We do not need paint or clay. We can be creative scientists or creative stay-at-home mothers.  We can be creative security guards or salespersons.  The way you wear your clothes, that dash of flair or the way you turn ordinary food into culinary delights all testify about the creative master within you.  Creativity is the ability of thinking outside the box, beyond the pre-conceived borders and to find new ways to solve problems.  Creativity is not only coming up with original ideas, but also to take a fresh look at existing ideas and expanding it into new directions.

One of the main reasons we feel that we are not creative is that we have been conditioned into believing we are not.  As a result we have buried our creativity beneath layers of doubt, negative self-talk and excuses.  When it comes to doing anything creative we always push it to the back of the queue, to be done once we have some spare time.  The question now is, can we revive our creativity or is it lost forever?  Great news!  Creativity might get stifled, but it never dies.  It is right there within your soul just waiting to be discovered.

How can we then develop our creative abilities?

First of all, we need to have an open mind.  When we remove our blinkers and open our thoughts, we prepare our minds to receive creative ideas.  In this open minded state we give our imaginations free range and we open ourselves up to inspiration.  Imagination and inspiration is a powerful combination in our creativity arsenal.

Next, we also need to be fearless.  So often we are afraid of failing that we never even start.  It is this fear which hampers us from developing and living out our creativity.  Fear is a self-made barrier between our ego and our creative self.  Fear chains us to the ground, making it impossible for us to take flight.  In order to pursue our creativity we have to be prepared to take risks.

We have to learn to listen to our intuition.  Our intuition is our strongest link to our creative voice.  Steve Jobs said that intuition is more powerful than intellect, yet we often discard our intuition as just a silly notion.  Intuition is that gut feeling we get about something or someone.  It is closely linked to inspiration.  Intuition can help us choose the direction in which to develop our creativity and it can guide our decisions.  However, we need to tune in to our intuition.

We have to give ourselves permission to daydream.  Daydreaming brings us in touch with our subconscious minds.  It is while daydreaming that we often come up with new ideas or fresh solutions to old problems.  It allows us to momentarily step away from the reality and opens up our minds to be more receptive.  Daydreaming helps us to release our imaginations.

We also need to develop our curiosity.  We need to become interested in the world around us.  We have to learn as much as possible, and go with wide open eyes through life.  Explore new ideas, new cultures and be prepared to take on new adventures.

Finally, remember, you are a creative being.  Believe it, live it.  Give heed to the call of creativity.  Create, don't wait for it, but do it for the sake of creating, not as a means to riches or fame, chances are that you will be disappointed.  Yet when we create because we are obedient to the voice within, any fame or fortune which comes our way as a result is a pleasant bonus.

Go on, be stunning!!!

Amongst the Ruins

A while ago we went for a hike in the mountains and we came upon the ruins of an old hotel.  It was a beautiful setting, built against the backdrop of a spectacular mountain.  Not much remained of the hotel and nature was steadily reclaiming its foothold. Despite the dilapidation, life carried on. Wildflowers were growing in amongst the broken tiles of what used to be the foyer and butterflies were happily dancing from bloom to bloom.  An orange tree was growing through the rusted window frame dangling from the corner of a disintegrating wall.  It was eerie standing there in the silence of  a mild summer's day.  Our thoughts turned to the people who must once have crossed the threshold of this scenic little hotel, and somehow the sound of the laughter of long forgotten children was carried on the breeze.

Standing there, I could not help thinking that it was like a metaphor of life.  Sometimes it feels as if our perfectly planned and built lives have ended up in ruins.  We feel all is lost, our foundations are crumbling and weeds are twisting and smothering our dreams.  We look at the perfect lives of others, and we feel shattered and disillusioned.  All our plans came to nothing.  Our blueprints were nothing but castles in the air.  We want to abandon the building.  Yet, all is not lost, the wildflowers and butterflies are proof that life carries on, maybe all we need is a fresh look at where we are, at the good that surrounds us.  Maybe we have to shift our gaze up towards the top of the mountain.

The truth is that what might seem like a ruin to us, may be the foundation of a more beautiful and stronger structure.  It is an opportunity to learn and build something better.  The question is: where do we start?

First of all it takes a mind shift.  Instead of looking at your life and your circumstances and seeing only the ruins and "failures", take note of the lessons learned and the all the possibilities waiting.  Instead of seeing limitations, look beyond at the infinite horizon stretching out ahead.  One thing that we need to learn once and for all, is that our old way of doing things did not work, so try a different approach.  As Doctor Phil has often pointed out, it is foolish to do the same things over and over, but expect different results.  We have to shift our point of view.

I have to pledge to myself to build the life I dream of living one step at a time. Only I, myself, can do it.  Nobody else can do it for me.  There is no knight on a white horse, or a fairy godmother, who is going to come past and with a kiss or wave of a wand, change my life.  I have to go out and catch that horse for myself and ride it.

Next, let go of all the excuses you have lined up as to why you cannot start over, why you cannot achieve success and why you cannot do what you need to do.  Let go of all your crushed hopes, your fear of "failing" again, negativity and destructive self-belief.  You need to let go of all your past baggage so that your hands are free to grasp the new opportunities around you.

Make peace with who you are.  You cannot grow and develop as a person as long as you are at war with yourself.  Develop your good points, your talents and your attributes.  Write them down and celebrate them.  Accept your less favourable characteristics and ask yourself which of those you can improve and turn around to become positive qualities and actively work on them.  Acknowledge and forgive those things that you cannot change.

Focus on your target.  We all have dreams.  Often we have so many dreams, that we do not know where to start.  It is like walking into a confectionery shop and being overwhelmed by all the flavours, colours and textures of the various cakes, tarts, pastries and sweets on offer.  If we do not at least have some idea what we would like to eat, we will battle to make a decision and usually end up wishing we had ordered what the customer at the table next to me is eating!  It is the same with dreams for our lives.  If we do not have a clear idea of what dreams we would like to pursue and for what reason, we often end up looking at other people living their dreams and wishing it were mine!  We have to discover what dreams will satisfy our passion and our life's purpose.  That has to become our target.  Then we must focus all our attention on that one target, that ultimate goal.  I have to know what type of building I want to build before I can start putting one brick on top of the other.

Now, the work starts.  I have to actively pursue my dream every day.  I have to prioritize it and schedule it.  I have to be relentless in reaching my goal every day. I have to fill my days with all aspects of my goal.  Read about it, research it, do the things I need to do in order to get my plan off the ground and into production.  Reach out to experts in the field and learn from them.  Every day and every effort will bring you closer to your target.

Never, ever give up!!!!  It is very human to get tired and to feel like giving up when we do not see the results we are expecting or anticipating.  We lose heart and become despondent.  Now is the time to persevere.  Be patient with the process, but also with yourself.  Anything worthwhile always takes time.  Have faith in your dream and faith in yourself.  Never doubt your dream and do not let anything or anybody distract you from your dream.  Know that in your pursuit of your dream, there will be ups and downs.  There will be moments when everything will seem to go wrong, but, do not be thrown from the tracks, focus on your goal and take heart.  The times of difficulties and setbacks will pass.  It will always go better again.  Never quit!

Now, get to it, build your life, brick by brick, and do not forget to have FUN in the process!

Created Equal

Butterflies are the most beautiful insects on the planet.  It is said that new butterfly species are still being discovered every day, but it is estimated that there are about 28 000 different species of butterflies.  No two butterflies are exactly the same, not even within the same species as the colour of every butterfly varies slightly from another one. Yet, despite their variety, they all share the same characteristics.  In their uniqueness there is a sameness.  They have all been created equal.

As you may have read by now, for those of you who have been following my posts, I am a great advocate about being and loving the unique human being you have been created to be.  However, today, I want us to take a look at us as having also been created equal.

Most parents make sure that they raise their children on copious amounts of praise.  When a toddler gives his first step, a chorus of loving voices raises up and cheers him on to take another step.  When a pre-schooler comes home with her first pink and orange blob with a note scribbled beneath by her teacher to inform us that the Rorschach stain is a dog, we declare her the next Picasso and show her artwork to anybody who ventures near.  Praise is good.  Our children need our praise.  They need this very biased encouragement.  It helps to build their self-esteem and inspires them to try harder and achieve more.  It gives them confidence to go out into the world and claim their place.  However, it is important to also keep our children grounded.  While teaching them how special and unique they are, they also need to learn to respect and value the uniqueness of others. 

We have to teach them that beneath our exteriors and deeper than our psyche, at the very core of our beings we all are the same.  We all have the same dreams and hopes.  We all have fears and worries.  Every one  has their own insecurities.  We all bleed the same. It does not matter if a person is of royal descent or hardly know the name of a single ancestor, whether a person is an acclaimed academic or an unknown pauper, we have all been created equal.  We have no right to look down on anybody or to despise another human being.  We were all born the same and will die the same.  We cannot take along our riches or our trophies.

When we believe ourselves to be superior to others and when we regard ourselves as more special or of more significance we lose touch with our true self and with reality.  When we think of ourselves as being above another person or group, we actually isolate ourselves and miss out on interesting and meaningful relationships.

I am not saying to go ahead and indiscriminately befriend every person you encounter, but I do suggest that you dismiss your pre-conceived ideas and give people the benefit of the doubt before you merely dismiss them as beneath your status, intellect, values or ability.  You might just be amazed by the amazing people you meet.  When you value others for who they really are, you in turn will be valued for the wonderful, unique person you are.

Embrace

I am sure you will agree with me when I say that we all have times in our lives when we feel insecure and we start doubting ourselves.  It feels as if we are floundering in the tides of life and we have lost focus.  We become overwhelmed by everything and everyone around us. Peace seems to be evading us.

If you feel this way, I have one word for you today: Embrace.  Learn to embrace.  Embrace what, you may ask?  I invite you to read on...

Embrace...

...the Past.

Yes, I know, we are usually told to let go of the past, but I want to tell you that you cannot let go of the past until you have embraced it.

Our past is often filled with many instances of pain and resentment.  The past is made up of huge pieces of blame and regret.  We have all had our share of grief and bitter disappointments.  It is littered with the broken pieces of our hearts.  Yet, the past is filled with life lessons. Every event, every tear and every moment of joy have brought us to this point in life.  Without the past which shaped and molded us, we would not have gained the insight and character we have presently.  Embrace the past for what it has taught you and embrace it for all the good it has given you.  Embrace the past for every person who was a part of it and for every experience it has given you.  Make peace with its heartache, the delights and the tough times it brought you.  Embrace it for all it was and then let it go.

...this Moment.

So often we spend precious time wishing our lives were different now.  We reminisce about the good old days and we dream about tomorrow, a better job or better friendships.  We obsess about living a different life from the one we are living now, imagining different circumstances or surroundings.  In the process we forget to be alive in this moment.  The fact is that we cannot ever walk back into the past and the future is nothing more than a date on the calender.  The only thing that is real is this very moment.  Very often it is what I do with this moment, which determines the quality of my future.  Thus, I have to embrace this moment I am living in now.  Embrace the way life is right now, value the friendships you have right now and the circumstances you are experiencing now.  Everything happening right now is teaching us and shaping us.  When we acknowledge where we are, who we are and what is happening right now in our lives and embrace it for all this moment is giving us, then we will have the means and wisdom to change our lives once this day, this moment, is in the past.  We can call it a day well lived, and we can embrace it for what it has given us and what it has taught us.  Embrace this here and now and live life to the fullest right now.

...Change.

Most of us are creatures of habit.  We tend to resist change.  We get up at a certain time, we usually order our favourite foods and wear that beloved sweater until it unravels at the seams. We resent people or events that threaten to disrupt the routine of our lives.  We hold onto the familiar with a vengeance. Yet change is the one constant in life.  Change is important in our development as human beings.  Through change we grow in maturity and wisdom.  Change opens up new horizons and new experiences which in turn open up our minds to new possibilities. I urge you to let go of your set ways and your set ideas. Relax and let go of your narrow view of what life should be like and instead embrace what life is giving you.  Allow it to surprise you. Embrace change.

...Yourself.

When we talk about love, respect and forgiveness, we all agree that it is not too difficult to love others and to respect them.  We can even manage to forgive other people.  Yet, when it comes to ourselves, we are far less loving, respectful and forgiving.  However, loving others, first of all, begins with loving yourself.  One of the ten commandments states "..love others as you love yourself", thus, our love for others are determined by the love we have for ourselves.  When we are angry with ourselves, and we feel embittered and resentful towards ourselves, we are busy poisoning ourselves.  When we constantly batter ourselves about our past "mistakes" and "failures" we become despondent.  We start to believe that we are not good enough.  We believe that we have not been destined for success.  We start comparing ourselves to other people.  We lose faith in ourselves and our abilities.  To have inner peace it is of utmost importance to stop blaming myself and to start forgiving myself.  I have to acknowledge and embrace the unique person that I am.  I have to celebrate who I am, the way I do things and the distinctive qualities which I possess.  When I embrace myself, it becomes so much easier to find peace.

...the Positive.

Every action we take in life begins with one thing: a thought.  In the Bible we read that a ship is steered by a rudder and so our lives are steered by our thoughts.  With the world in such a state of chaos all around us, it is very easy to focus on everything that is wrong.  We get trapped by thoughts of worry and fear.  We look at our own lives and circumstances and our thoughts start drowning out any positive thoughts.  Negativity seeps into our thoughts and conversations.  We start to listen to the negative opinions of other people and their words become fodder for our thoughts.  We start believing our thoughts.  It is important to start filtering what influences and what words we allow into our minds.  Put them through the negativity filter and only allow those things through which are charged with positive energy. Ban any negativity from your life, avoid people who speak words that break down or discourage.  Fill your life with people who speak life and fill your world with positive energy.  Negative energy is like a black hole, it sucks everything into its dark abyss.  Positivity fills our lives with light and delight.  Embrace all that is positive.

Practise these five principles in your life and watch how your world becomes a place of peace and joy.  Through practising these five points you will once again find the focus and energy you felt you were lacking.  Above all Embrace Life!!!

Winter Wonder

Here in the Southern Hemisphere it is winter, and although it has not been a particularly cold one yet, it is still cold enough for me to not be very comfortable!  They say that butterflies don't fly if their body temperature is less than 30 degrees C.  Well, I feel like a butterfly, no flying for me.  I just flutter my wings ever so slightly.  I am the most unproductive human being during the winter months, my body is constantly crying out in protest!  I love the summer, the warmth of the sun energizes me and lifts my spirit to unknown heights.  Yet, the winter has a magical beauty to it.  When the sun just pushes its face from underneath the night's blanket and its first fragile rays catch on the frosty icicles covering the grass, it is like a wonderland which unfolds. The waterdrops glisten like diamonds.  Foggy tendrils float above the water pond, and one can almost imagine fairies scurrying away before human eyes can see them.  Although Winter is my least favourite season, I need the winter and I cannot imagine living in a place where there is little or no winter, it is as if my very essence needs this time of hibernation. It is a time for quiet reflection.  Without Winter, Spring would be less miraculous, Summer less abundant.  In Life, too, we learn to truly appreciate the beauty of Summer, because of the winter. It is this contrast that reveals the beauty, the wonder and the joy of the good times.  Winter is to me like the wrapping around a present.  It excites me, because I know that underneath its cold layer, tender green leaves are waiting to burst forth and rejoice!!  So enjoy this time of snuggling beneath the warm covers, it will soon pass. If you flutter by here, please share your thoughts on the Seasons with me, I would love to hear from you.