It seems that last week we reached a bit of a seasonal tipping point, at least in Pittsburgh… the incremental increase of daylight is now pleasantly noticeable, there were also days last week that smelled like spring so despite this morning’s dusting of snow and bitter cold… I know that winter is in its waning days. The birds know it too and hearing their increased birdsong in the morning is a welcome treat! Yes, winter with a bit more light and some birdsong is not a bad thing!
But in your corner of the world does winter seem interminable? Even for those of us experiencing a “February Thaw” and some precious extra minutes of day light … we still have miles to go before spring gets here. This week I want to focus on me … it is not something I do often and I am reminded of these wise words from Katherine May’s Wintering: “When I started feeling the drag of winter, I began to treat myself like a favoured child: with kindness and love. I assumed my needs were reasonable and that my feelings were signals of something important. I kept myself well fed and made sure I was getting enough sleep. I took myself for walks in the fresh air and spent time doing things that soothed me. I asked myself: What is this winter all about? I asked myself: What change is coming?”
And that, dear friends, is the perfect quote for all of us on this Day of Love… how are we treating ourselves as we begin (or continue!) to feel the drag of winter?
I have had a “thing” on my To-Do List for far too long… get my mammogram. Sigh. I was supposed to go last spring and well, I allowed this to fall off my radar. So when I got an email on Friday that there was a “Love Your Breasts” Walk-in Mammogram clinic on Saturday…I went. A spur of the moment self-love act that is incredibly important. (Hint, hint… if you have not gone in the past year for your mammogram, pick up the phone and make an appointment!)
There are some other things on my To-Do List that I am going to stay focused on getting done this month… and shower myself with self-love.
What about you? What’s on your list!
Photo by Tim Mossholder from Pexels
I saw some snowdrops over the weekend, and other green tips are starting to poke through the soil, so spring can’t be that far away!
Bravo for taking care of your mammogram. I’m scheduled to go back in May, I think. I had three scans last year, which was more than enough, thanks, but it’s always important. Self-love is so often thought of as treating yourself, but I think looking after your own health is just as big an expression of loving yourself.
What a great idea, Kat! It’s hard to take care of yourself as well as you do others, but you are so worthy, and what better time to do it than in the doldrums of winter. Bravo to you for getting your mammogram, and keep being your own favored child!
One of the medical centers here used to have “Walk-in Wednesdays” for mammograms and it was just perfect for me! It’s not the kind of appointment I look forward to and it makes me a little anxious, but being able to pop in on a whim and get it done? Loved it. They don’t do that anymore, but it was scheduled in as part of my most recent check up — and that’s also great, as there’s no special trip required.
Anyway, YAY YOU!!
Good for you, Kat! And what an excellent reminder for the rest of us. I have mine scheduled in a few weeks as part of the prep for my annual physical (yippee. . . ). But. It’s a great thing to do for myself! Monitoring our health is such a good way to practice self care. XO
This is a beautiful ode to love! It took me decades to get here, but I’m all about putting on my own oxygen mask now–because i want to be around for the long haul! Enjoy making your way through that list. I love ‘wintering’ in that way. xo
What a wise post Kat. Kudos to you for getting that mammogram done. I started putting a note at the back of my current calendar about a date to call and schedule. Then I enter it in the new (I am an old fashioned paper calendar person) calendar each January. These health screenings aren’t that much fun but important.
Good on you for recognizing that some extra self care and self love is something that will improve your outlook. We had fake spring here on Saturday (I sat out on the deck and read!) and then got 8 inches of snow on Sunday. And when I got up this morning it was -2. Sigh.
I dread the mammo, my mom died of breast cancer (!) however I chant to myself that I am giving myself a health present. Still am nervous but I keep chanting. Good for you! now you can cross that off your list 🙂
yay for getting that mammogram! treating myself after that appointment is a ritual 🙂 happy to say I’ve crossed all those pesky to-do’s off my list and now I have things like “finalize committee meeting minutes” on my list … not fun, but also nothing that warrants a treat for finishing!
I love that quote from Wintering. It’s so perfect! And nice work squeezing in that mammogram (very bad joke). Here’s to the coming spring and comforting things!