“January is the quietest month in the garden.  …  But just because it looks quiet doesn’t mean that nothing is happening.  The soil, open to the sky, absorbs the pure rainfall while microorganisms convert tilled-under fodder into usable nutrients for the next crop of plants.  The feasting earthworms tunnel along, aerating the soil and preparing it to welcome the seeds and bare roots to come.”
–  Rosalie Muller Wright, Editor of Sunset Magazine, January 1999

January is a peculiar month.

I am a hypocrite of sorts as I eagerly anticipate the new year’s arrival: a fresh start to begin anew and improve upon the previous year’s growth and lessons. But as it progresses, I silently ache for the sun, the warmth, the perennials to bloom and, yes, I become ever-so-slightly impatient. However, each year I reflect on the January that was, and believe it or not, I am thankful for its occurrence.

Why?

The cold reminds me of the amazing warmth I have felt and will feel again. The dark reminds me of the power of a deep, long night’s sleep. The hazards and obstacles presented by Mother Nature reveals to me what I may have taken for granted. The additional time snuggling inside grants me time to dream and plan (and catch up on the pile of books waiting to be devoured).

I recognize that January may not be everyone’s favorite month; there have been moments this year that haven’t been mine. But there have also been moments that have exceeded any day of the year, and there are still eleven months to go.

It is during these times of unimaginable joy that we savor and are reminded that even during the contrary moments of doubt, strain and angst, beautiful, magnificent, and extraordinary experiences can occur as well, and that should be the hope we ride into the rest of the upcoming eleven months.

Yes, as the quote states above, January is a quiet month. But sometimes quiet is good. Sometimes quiet means behind the scenes a magical moment is preparing itself so that it might be able to roar when the right time occurs.

Patience.

Let go of the agenda in your mind. Let go of how you think it “should” work out. Savor the life you are building, express that gratitude in your daily life and remember patience is something we actually always have with us as I recently came to understand.

I am reminded of a recent quote I heard during one of my sessions of meditation on the topic of patience:

“Patience is not something we need to develop. Instead, we need to learn how to let go of impatience. This may sound like the same thing, but it’s actually quite different. Patience is an inherent part of a calm and clear mind. If we know this, if we understand it, then we do not try to ‘create’ patience; instead we simply let go of the noise and our involvement in that activity and thereby experience patience. In this scenario we can say that the absence of impatience has led to the experience of patience.”

May January 2017 be remembered for what it began to foster and may the coming months reveal the gifts we never thought would be possible.

~SIMILAR POSTS FROM THE ARCHIVES YOU MIGHT ENJOY:

~Why Not . . . Give Your Life an Annual Appraisal?

~Why Not . . . Create a To Be List?

~Why Not . . . Transition from Busy to Balanced?

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