Yesterday I went on a long, wintry walk. The air was brisk and the clouds switched between light and dark, changing the shadows and variations of grays and whites on the snow like a mirror. It was peaceful and beautiful in its starkness.

It reminded me that there can be beauty in the shadows and the wintry, colder times of our lives, as well as in the warm, green days. We need both sun and shadow, cold and warmth, light and darkness to see and appreciate the full spectrum of our lives. We need rest, solitude and hibernation as much as we need movement, community and activity. Happiness and grief. Growth and peace. In these cycles and side-by-sides we live our lives in the noticing.

What do you notice today? Where do you find beauty in winter and other seasons? How does that relate to your life? Do you notice cycles or parts of your life that seem to carry or hold polarities?