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This year is my first time experiencing Winter in New England. Except, Winter has yet to arrive. It’s been unseasonably warm and I’ve seen buds on trees and bulbs blooming. Today was a glorious 50° and sunny, with birds singing and a feeling of Spring in the air. The only problem is… it’s January.

While I love this weather and the feeling it brings, I know that right now it should be Winter. We should be staying cozy inside, shoveling the walkways, and bundling up just to let the dog out. Winter may be a harder, harsher time of year, but it is necessary for growth. It gives us time for rest; even the snow nourishes the soil, allowing plants to grow stronger and more abundant. Without Winter, we miss that necessary rebuilding period of our year.

Two years ago I was just starting a new job. It was one I was hesitant to take, but it felt like the right thing to do. At first it was better than I had imagined. I loved the work, the office, my coworkers, etc. But as time progressed, the job became too heavy; the load that was put on my shoulders was meant for three yet I was tasked with it, alone. The year I spent at this job was a constant sprint. With no time for rest, even my vacations were interrupted with unnecessary demands and questions that I had made sure were already set and answered before I’d left, and anything else were tasks that someone else could have easily accomplished. I pushed through the job, making it just over a year before Steve had accepted a job in New England, allowing us to move across the country and for me to finally rest.

Once we arrived, I entered a “Winter” season—physically and mentally. We were staying with family and I found it hard to do anything. My body was in hibernation, my mind resting. It was exactly what I needed. Our move allowed me to enter a season that is vital to life; I slept, I reset, I disconnected with the busyness I had left behind.

This personal Winter lasted most of the year, and now I feel like I am entering my Spring. I’ve awoken to find a new love for my body and the capabilities it provides me with. This blogging space, which had gone very quiet, is something I find myself reaching for, again. I’ve found myself longing for connection and belonging, for plans and creativity, and feel a new sense of drive to build the future Steve and I desire.

While the Winter was long, it was beautiful. Filled with cozy family gatherings, new experiences, and wonderful changes that have become a foundation for our family’s future. But without it, I couldn’t have become what I needed, to be where I am today.

If you’re currently experiencing a figurative “Winter” season—please embrace it. Allow yourself to feel and grow, to rest and reset for a new Spring that is sure to arrive. But just like the seasons of Mother Nature, there’s no set hour or day for when change will come, but it will come. We need the Winters in our lives—the times where we can start again, refreshed with a new energy that was once depleted.