Winter Necessities and Delights

"They who sing through the summer must dance in the winter." —Italian Proverb

Here are 8 things that I find essential to and particularly lovely during the winter months. 

Word games for the phone. Because as we’re home more and likely picking up our phones more, let’s play some word games while we’re at it. Also, have you heard of this game called Wordle?

Delightful beverages. Namely, fine tea and craft beer. Specifically, Taylor’s ginger lemon tea and juicy IPAs from Rhinegeist and MadTree.

A hot water bottle. There are few things quite as comforting as snuggling into bed with a hot water bottle at the foot. 

Reading with others. Whether it’s an online book discussion, sharing tea with a neighbor and discussing a non-fiction tome (looking at you, “Jesus and John Wayne”), or simply texting a group of friends what we all have been reading, winter is the perfect setting for connecting with others over books.

My crockpot. I’ve found that the best time for me and my kids to get outside in the winter is in those hours between the end of afternoon nap and dinner time. It’s normally the warmest part of the day, we’re all a little irritable, and if we’ve been gifted sunshine for the day, the waning sunlight is majestic. Many days we’re outside right until it’s time to eat dinner. So, I’ve been prepping dinner at lunchtime and throwing it in the crockpot and when we come inside? Dinner is all but ready for the table.

Collective experiences of joy. In January, I read Brene Brown’s “Braving the Wilderness” and was struck by her discussion around collective experiences, specifically collective experiences of joy. This winter, I went to the Beautiful Orthodoxy Conference in New Orleans and the Bengals went to the Super Bowl in L.A. Both were gateways to collective experiences of joy that I sorely needed.

Spiritual direction. I plan to keep at spiritual direction in all seasons, ha! But I think winter can cultivate a certain solitude when compared to summer, and having a spiritual companion for this season has been a gift. 

Musicals. Someone on IG shared once that musicals are the music we need in January and February. They help us come down from the fun and shinyness of Christmas music, and provide some sparkle for months that can be gray. I think about that every winter, and try to add some musical numbers to my queue. Selections from “Come From Away” and “Encanto” have been regulars. 

What particularly delights you in the winter? Or what do you find essential for these cold, gray months? Tell me in the comments below.

Oh, and a little something else. At the Beautiful Orthodoxy Conference last week, The Porter’s Gate led worship for a few sessions. I could write about their music and how it’s formed me in a newsletter of its own but suffice it to say IT MOVED ME AND WAS VERY SPECIAL, especially Orlando Palmer on the piano and Latifah Alattas singing.

Anyway, I was introduced to this Porter’s Gate song while at BOC and it’s been on a loop since.