winter

The coldest season, is creeping in, stretching its frozen icy fingers to envelope one and all, in its cold and wet blanket wishing to chill us with its gray long nights and short quiet days, temperature dips, sun prefers to fold its rays and becomes unwilling to lend its warmth to warm our body and soul, leaving us cold and lonely, and craving for sunshine, this season sun prefers to fade away giving an opportunity to mist and snow to visit us and wishes to rest after working a rigorous schedule in summer, only to return back with a bang after 3 or 4 months. Most of the trees wear a different coloured look first and then they wear a disrobed look ;reduced sunlight, does not help the leaves to produce much energy and as a result trees shed their leaves to save energy chlorophyll’s green pigment which colours the leaves green, disappears from the leaves, when the trees shut their food making process, as the leaves lose their green colour and the other colours which were already present are unmasked like red,orange,purple surface and gives the leaves altogether a new multicoloured look, creating a colourful environment, but later when total food and water supply is cut off from the tree to the leaves, they start shedding hence winter always has no green pictures to make our imaginations fertile with some exceptions as always, of evergreen trees.

Winter warms our relationships with good bondings, as the congregations, get-togethers,Family bonding, hanging around with friends, are organized only indoors with a fire-place or room heaters, to make our winter sessions memorable, be it any event at any venue, either in an office room,a candle lit dinner in a restaurant, a religious discourse in a temple, community hall, an enjoyable cricket match in a club,or even in a cosy room of our home. we all avoid the open grounds, terrace and outdoor sittings, to avoid the chill weather.

Winter mornings offer a lovely sight,frosty wind around hitting our face,mist covered like a milky haze, making everything invisible or half-hidden,frozen lakes with water hard and still, getting warmer, gradually with the glimmer of dawn, rising of the sun which is mild and flower petals adorned with pearls of dewdrops,like honey dripping off the bright hued petals that look fresh like a painting, glitter like jewels, when the golden sunrays bathe them,offering nature’s best creation, blankets of snow covering the woods, earth and the cattle, camouflaging all the unattractive things on the ground, blocking every possible path, appears like balls of cotton wool are strewn all around, birds just craning their necks,out of their nests unable to decide,to take flight or not,chirping reluctantly,(some birds that can’t survive in winter migrate to different parts of the country,and return after winter)

Window panes painted with fog and melting,with the touch of suns rays, clearing the view,form a part of a typical winter morning. Snow games in winter are welcome like snow boarding and skiing, kids enjoy their snow man.winter is time for literary work ; libraries and study places at home are sought after, every reading material is dug out of closets,indoor games are chosen,to be played over mugs of hot chocolates,

In summer, people have an open season with one another,but winter gives us privacy,some time for ourselves,most of us prefer to spend the long nights in the warmth of our rooms, generally no one likes to intrude into other’s privacy of their homes,as it leaves with very little choice of places to hang around,which mostly preferable is indoors, hence we all choose to postpone the outdoor activities, to a different season.on a positive note, winter provides us the luxury of solitude and peace,to enjoy all that we could not do in a group, update our social awareness,through some literary work, cultivate a hobby,or just enjoy a book or a family photo album along the fireplace or just spend some time exclusively,for ourselves.

In rural areas, once dusk sets in,we can find people gathering and forming circles,around a bonfire,exchanging news,or singing a folkmusic in chorus,just to beat the harsh,chill weather, they have to face the brunt as they have very less of warming accessories and very less access to electronic warming gadgets. It is time to fish out our wardrobes, for the warm woollen sweaters, jackets, mufflers,gloves, socks and blankets that can protect us from the chilled atmosphere.

The wily winter has its own woes,though it does not hinder the daily activities like monsoons, it still makes us withdraw,to the cocoons of our houses and indirectly restricts our movement,the reluctance to step out of our warm and cosy domain prevents us from carrying on with our daily schedule,

The arrival of winter, due to the seasonal change,also brings a mood swing, or the WINTER BLUES, to the most of us,which is quite natural, the variation of light , dipping of mercury,lack of lustre all around,damp atmosphere, the changes we experience in ourselves like, patchy and rough skin, cracked heels,sore throat,nagging cough,dips our emotions too,we experience, depression on the onset of winter,but then we also resign from th “PHASE OF RESISTANCE” of this change of weather and the strings of upheavals,attached to it, to the “ACCEPTANCE PHASE”,or the remedial measures or steps we adopt to combat the WINTER BLUES.we start adapting ourselves to the winter season,as we are left with very less option, either to continue the moroseness and suffer with bitterness,or accept the fact, that the situation will remain and continue in the same fashion,for another 3 to 4months,till the summer arrives and hence, make the best of it with perseverance.

while winter mornings, can be enjoyed, staying indoors, it can become very inconvenient, when we have to go to our work places,and stay in the open, to carry out any outdoor activity, jogging in this weather is delayed due to the darkness and biting cold, and indoor work-out regime is also not carries out whole-heartedly, we conveniently skip the exercise regime, by postponing it to a different time, very well aware that it would mean the next morning.

On a winter morning,when the alarm buzzes, we are awakened rudely from our deep and peaceful slumber, just to see darkness all around,even though the clock indicates 6, as the sun also is as reluctant as ourselves to spread its rays on the cold earth,it is still peeping,and not all ready to rise, thus delays the brightening of the dawn,rises quite late and also gives us a reason to extend our stay in our beds for another ten minutes, as we are not comfortable with the dark and cold environment.hands are unwillingly stretched out of our thick blankets to stop the unending chime and grudgingly release our recoiled body from the warm layers of blanket and drag our disobliging body to step out of the room, just to find our throats are sore,and body slightly aching due to the cold climate, our skin is robbed of moisture,and the chapped lips,and cracked feet,which makes it a bad sight,we feel everything is non-co-operative suddenly, with our zest at its lowest ebb, we compell ourselves to finish off with our morning ablutions, and some skin regime for winter care,rubbing an ample amount of moisturiser generously over the unsightly skin, in a waste attempt to make it supple wishing, that we skip the entire schedule under some pretext,which could convince ourselves to stay away from the freezing water.

Then after a brief involuntary attempts to let the water contact our body,we have a hot water bath, feel fresh, only to find ourselves trembling,with the freezing air enveloping our wet and vulnerable body, which has entered, escaping through the window shutters, our teeth chattering; creating a numb sensation,even unable to dry ourselves.dressing with whatever is in reach,as soon as possible to reach the dining hall and feel very glad at the sight of steaming hot tea pot. welcoming us. Any morning hot beverages, like hot creamy milk, strong coffee or hot flavoured tea are welcome and the first hot gulps of this steaming drink, not only stirs our mind from our reluctant mood but also acts as a body warmer,then a nice hot breakfast is followed,after a brief news-paper session, dressing for the day, covering ourselves with every possible warm clothing, armed and ready,the time to step out into the danger zone, the cold streets,with roads wearing deserted look, arrives.we start wallowing in self-pity, as we start to imagine, that it is only our unlucky self stepping out helplessly on the frozen morning; and all are enjoying indoors,but the fact remains that,all are also experiencing just the same situation,and would have the same story to share. Once we reach the office premises,the thought of the cosy interiors encourages us to barge indoors,and once we reach indoors,after exchanging the pleasantries we all with our counter parts, collectively agree that the aircondition should be reduced.

After just an hour at the work cubicle,even before we could start our day, we realize,it is noon time and then it is lunch time, we all gulp the cold meal,without relishing a bit,just as a ritual and start hunting for a small piece of warm area in the office which is blessed, as the sunrays have decided to warm that portion, either a part of a corridor, a window wing or the approach, just to bask in the warmth,before resuming the second session of the day.The evening arrives early;sun sets very soon, hence its time to get back to our warm boundaries of home, before dusk threatens to set in,and the roads start to wear a deserted look. With long, willing strides, we are too pleased to reach the comforts of our warm abode. Once in our kingdom,we feel very triumphant, that we successfully passed a nother winter day, not letting the thought of the next morning,cross our mind, all that we can think of is our family union, a hot sumptuous dinner,along the fire-side and the warm,cosy bed protecting us from the piercing claws of winter and an anticipation of spring season that can bring spring in our lives with fresh leafing of trees and fresh endeavours in our lives…

This WINTER, let us all have a warm and cosy journey, by beating the WINTER BLUES, not only by warming ourselves but also by making an attempt to bring warmth in our relationships!!!