Winter is for Reflection.

My hiking shoes shuffled along the dull dry path with only my footsteps and nearby chirps to be heard. Grey clouds filled the sky. It’s extra cold this winter in California.

The crisp air was almost as loud as the nothingness felt around me. The world was at a pause and life was in hibernation. I felt part of the wild that surrounded me; numb, still, and unresolved.

I couldn’t help but reflect that life is also harsh, bitter, and at times defeating. All that is alive is always looking to survive. To shy away from discomfort and danger is intuitive and necessary. Life is fleeting. It is only a moment after another. This Gray Squirrel I came across, sadly had no more moments left to live. I hope it had also been able to experience the more joyful seasons of life other than winter.