Planting Hope and Living in the Moment

Dreaming of spring and delighting in winter

Winter in Maine seems to last forever, and this feels especially true in February, and March, and sometimes even April. Still, we carry on.

To make it through, I’ve learned I need two things at once: something to look forward to, and a reminder that winter still holds its own quiet beauty. Some days this balance comes easily. Other days, not so much. I knew a deep cold was coming this weekend, the kind that arrives with warnings and the possibility of power outages, so yesterday we leaned into the gentler side of winter.

We spent time outside, taking in the stillness and the pale winter light. I opened the windows while I cleaned, letting the cold, fresh air rush through the house, a small reset before hunkering down. Starting today, the house is closed up tight, the heat turned higher than usual to keep the rooms warm and the pipes safe, and I’ll probably complain a little (a lot) about how much I dislike winter.

It’s a love/hate relationship, and one I return to every year.

Sometimes the hope comes from looking ahead. Sometimes it comes from opening a window and breathing in where we are.

When planting hope, the goal is to enjoy it—plan in a way that feels more like a daydream than an obligation.

Allow yourself to plant hope both figuratively and literally. Figuratively, it begins with noticing small signs of spring, like how the light lingers a little longer each day. Literally, it can be as simple as making a short list of what you want to grow this spring. I don’t have a green thumb, but this year I’m determined to teach myself. I’m starting small, with a few fruits and vegetables my family loves and flowers I can cut and enjoy all season.

Even jotting these plans on paper plants a little hope. You can also begin growing indoors now, with easy wins like parsley, lettuce greens, or green onions regrowing quietly in a glass of water on a sunny windowsill.

 Photography by Charlotte

Living in the Moment

It can be hard to see the beauty in winter when we’re sick of it. After the magic of Christmas and the new-found energy of the New Year wear off, it’s easy to see winter as a burden. As I write this, it’s going to be –10 this weekend. –10. The stress of frozen pipes and never-ending snowy driveways is quick to suck the beauty out of the season.

But do you know who isn’t worried about burst pipes and icy driveways? Kids.

And so while I may be quietly cursing the season, muttering under my breath every time I step out into the frigid air, the kids are finding pure joy in how long the icicles hang from the roof, and how fun it is to skate to the car during our morning rush to school. They’re in awe of the way the snow glitters, and find giddy satisfaction in the crunch beneath their boots with every step.

So, I’m letting my kids take over this section—one I lovingly titled Living in the Moment back when it was in the 40s and felt like spring—and I hope you can find a little time to see winter through the eyes of your own. Hand them your phone and let them snap photos of what they find beautiful, or simply ask them to tell you. Start pointing out the joys of winter to one another, especially on the days when it feels like the season will never end.

Watch these photographers at work on instagram.