The Pond

Some of you may be wondering why this is my first post in a couple of months, others are probably thinking, "you have a blog?!" Ha ha!

This past winter has admittedly been one of my hardest winters in my battle against what can only be described as "the winter blues." I took the photograph you see above just yesterday and as I walked by this bench, it really stood out to me. My winter blues are much like this pond. In the spring and summer, it’s alive and full of sounds. From the ducks and geese wading through, to the guys that stay out past sunset with their fishing poles in the water, to the frogs croaking at night.

Yet in the winter time, the bench sits empty. The frogs don’t croak, the geese and ducks have migrated south, the pond freezes up, and the fishermen pack up their gear for the winter months. Often times, the only sounds you hear are the crunch of snow underneath your boots and an owl hooting in the distance. In many ways, my winter blues is like that. It feels like with the scenery and animals around me changing, so does my mood.

My luck is beginning to turn around though. While we had a small snowfall the other day, signs of life are starting to return to this pond. The ice is beginning to melt, the ducks and geese have returned, and the smell of spring is in the air. And I begin to awaken from my winter blues as the cool air rejuvenates me, I’m so thankful. And as I walk around the pond I look at the geese who return year after year and I just look at them say, "welcome back, friend."