DISPEL THE WINTER BLUES

A snowy scene shows the loveliness of winter

January in the great Inland Empire of the Pacific Northwest is best described by the three "Ds" -- dull, drab, dreary. We rejoice if the sun comes out for half a day, or even an hour. It’s too bad that we don’t use Christmas – or whatever December holiday you might celebrate – to help us through the short, dark winter days. Instead, we seem to close the door on Christmas, put away the joy with all the decorations, and then sit in a dark place – mentally and physically – for at least six weeks. We should follow Ina, who liked Christmas because it helps to pass the winter.

We even associate some good winter songs, such as “Walkin’ in a Winter Wonderland” and “Marshmallow World,” with Christmas and quit playing them. Even “Jingle Bells” is a winter song. I guess those songs really date me, though, because when I googled “winter songs,” I had never heard of the titles that came up. And during the season, when I asked Alexa to play “classic Christmas,” I was appalled at what she called classic! Whatever happened to Perry Como, Andy Williams, Bing Crosby, and Ray Coniff, all summed up by Lawrence Welk? (I guess I'm becoming my parents -- totally predictable!)

For that matter, Christmas carols celebrate the good news of the Christ child’s birth. If that’s what we do, shouldn’t we do it all the time?

Hallie's primrose

My mother said that putting away Christmas kept it special. As a child, I accepted what she said as a truism. Today, I don’t know about that. It stands to reason that time moves on and as the days grow longer and spring brightens our days, we just naturally move with it. It seems like we could let it happen more gently and allow the light of Christmas to brighten our winter days until the sun brings us the first crocus (or primrose).

[Daughter Hallie planted primroses last spring to which the big slugs of Seattle promptly brought destruction. She thought it was all over for the primroses, but last week she discovered one blooming profusely, a real harbinger of spring.]