Winter.
The days get shorter as the reign of Night becomes stronger. Waking up in the mornings, leaving the warmth of your thick blanket and stepping on the cold floor, leaving your beloved, cosy bed, becomes the hardest thing that you’re forced to do every day.
The sun too, rises lazily, doing very little to lessen the cold. Fog greets the mornings and decides to avail their hospitality till early noon. The sky turns a whitish arctic, as solid and serene as ever. A strange but familiar silence spreads like ripples. The frogs have gone into hibernation, the insects and snakes have retreated to their burrows and apart from the occasional chirp of the crickets, silence prevails.
Early in the morning, a yellow school bus comes, to pick the children up. The mothers hurriedly fix their kids’ mufflers and button up their sweaters. As the bus leaves, they wave a quick goodbye and then fold their hands tightly, close to their body, to keep warm. Those who leave for their offices in the morning, have now started to take their cars instead of their bikes. The few who have not, wrap themselves up, with scarves and gloves and drive off.
Every day, the newspapers print the highest and lowest temperatures of the previous day and the expected ones of that day. These lead to ample discussions, especially between the grandpas and the dads. The grandpas often go through the nostalgia streets, as they tell everyone about the winters decades ago. From a particular winter suit that some famous actor wore in a certain film which apparently became very popular, to the extreme temperature range because of rising global warming, all topics are covered, though the discussions always start and end with speculations about how cold it has become.
The grannies on the other hand, become busy knitting woollens and worrying about their grandchildren catching a cold.
Vogue’s winter collection makes its appearance, and becomes the ladies’ 'hot topic'. Ironic isn’t it! And well, for the kids, it’s all about counting the days to Christmas and vacations.
For the Northern Hemisphere residents, winter sets the dominoes falling towards new year. December, the last month of the year always seems to have arrived months before it should have. Once again, we wonder how time flew. And well, December displays its super speed too, as it flies away with winter shopping, Christmas decorations and New Year planning.
But, in this raspy cold, some memories keep us warm to the core. Building snowmans, eating ice cream, though shivering with cold, snowfights, late night movies-wrapped up in blankets, waking up late, cycling on Sunday mornings, the cool air wheezing and the sun shining gently- all burn a light that glows.
There are memories, that are even more special. They are, the reason, why many of us (including me) have fallen in love with winter. Wearing the jacket of a special someone, hands in the woolly pockets and hoodie on the head, that’s all the winter love you need. A canvas and shades of blue, that’s all the winter art you need. Mum’s hot chocolate, in a huge cup with a giant book to read, a fluffy, warm stuffed toy by the side and a snug, comfortable rug, that’s all you need for a perfect winter day.
Some haven’t, as yet, fallen in love with the cold. For some, it’s just an acquaintance. Winter for some, is a foe, an uninvited guest that unabashedly makes it periodic appearance every year. But for some, it’s one of their first love.
(Do you love winter? Tell us why, or why not?)
The sun too, rises lazily, doing very little to lessen the cold. Fog greets the mornings and decides to avail their hospitality till early noon. The sky turns a whitish arctic, as solid and serene as ever. A strange but familiar silence spreads like ripples. The frogs have gone into hibernation, the insects and snakes have retreated to their burrows and apart from the occasional chirp of the crickets, silence prevails.
Early in the morning, a yellow school bus comes, to pick the children up. The mothers hurriedly fix their kids’ mufflers and button up their sweaters. As the bus leaves, they wave a quick goodbye and then fold their hands tightly, close to their body, to keep warm. Those who leave for their offices in the morning, have now started to take their cars instead of their bikes. The few who have not, wrap themselves up, with scarves and gloves and drive off.
Every day, the newspapers print the highest and lowest temperatures of the previous day and the expected ones of that day. These lead to ample discussions, especially between the grandpas and the dads. The grandpas often go through the nostalgia streets, as they tell everyone about the winters decades ago. From a particular winter suit that some famous actor wore in a certain film which apparently became very popular, to the extreme temperature range because of rising global warming, all topics are covered, though the discussions always start and end with speculations about how cold it has become.
The grannies on the other hand, become busy knitting woollens and worrying about their grandchildren catching a cold.
Vogue’s winter collection makes its appearance, and becomes the ladies’ 'hot topic'. Ironic isn’t it! And well, for the kids, it’s all about counting the days to Christmas and vacations.
For the Northern Hemisphere residents, winter sets the dominoes falling towards new year. December, the last month of the year always seems to have arrived months before it should have. Once again, we wonder how time flew. And well, December displays its super speed too, as it flies away with winter shopping, Christmas decorations and New Year planning.
But, in this raspy cold, some memories keep us warm to the core. Building snowmans, eating ice cream, though shivering with cold, snowfights, late night movies-wrapped up in blankets, waking up late, cycling on Sunday mornings, the cool air wheezing and the sun shining gently- all burn a light that glows.
There are memories, that are even more special. They are, the reason, why many of us (including me) have fallen in love with winter. Wearing the jacket of a special someone, hands in the woolly pockets and hoodie on the head, that’s all the winter love you need. A canvas and shades of blue, that’s all the winter art you need. Mum’s hot chocolate, in a huge cup with a giant book to read, a fluffy, warm stuffed toy by the side and a snug, comfortable rug, that’s all you need for a perfect winter day.
Some haven’t, as yet, fallen in love with the cold. For some, it’s just an acquaintance. Winter for some, is a foe, an uninvited guest that unabashedly makes it periodic appearance every year. But for some, it’s one of their first love.
(Do you love winter? Tell us why, or why not?)
Have a super cool, super lovely, super cosy Winter!
