Embers Through the Winter

I studied abroad in Paris during the spring semester of my junior year of college. It was an emotionally and mentally challenging semester for many reasons. A big one—that I only realized in hindsight—was how massively unstructured my time was compared to the full load of classes, social clubs, and part-time work I was used to back home.

Add in the darker days, colder weather, and the related seasonal dip in energy, activities, and opportunities to connect with people plus the lack of structure meant I was in a struggle zone.

But I learned how important creating supportive structures is for me. And recognized the cyclical pattern of wanting more supportive structures in winter.

Since then, and especially since becoming self-employed, I have intentionally sought out activities and communities to sustain me throughout the winter.

Creating the Gathering I Want

I’ve been planning my winter activities, including my season of depth, and I had an idea to fill a possible social/structural gap during my days in January and February.

What if I hosted a twice-a-week mini-session focused on journaling and winter self-care? I could invite others to join me for 30 minutes on Mondays and Wednesdays for 8 weeks in January and February.

Here is what I want this gathering to be:

• An anchor point in the day and the week. I know that having one external commitment on my calendar - even a small one - adds structure to the rest of my day.
• It’s a chance to socialize with other people in a casual and cozy way.
• A safe reflection space with a few journal prompts and lovely chat conversations
• A place to share energy and ideas with other creatives and humans.
• A reason to take a break during the workday for a meal, a stretch, a drink of water, a nap, a walk…
• A place to share the little details of the day - what’s exciting that can be celebrated and what’s frustrating that can be witnessed.
• A moment to do winter self-care tasks, whatever they might be.

Embers

An ember is a glowing fragment from the remains of a fire that is still capable of being revived.

The embers of the fire just need a bit of care to sustain the warmth through the winter.

That’s what I want this gathering to be - a way to care for the embers of our winter lives.