It’s been a rough week. I was thinking about writing a post about seasonal affective disorder. Recent events prove the timeliness of this post. I wanted to research it and learn more about it. I’m no doctor. I honestly don’t know much about it. I know it affects a lot of people to varying degrees.
Naturists will often speak of it in the winter as opportunities for being nude out in nature diminish greatly. What is a natural and healthy stress reliever and an activity that brings great joy to this portion of the population is stripped away viciously due to the colder temperatures.
Naturist parks try to remedy this malady by offering more indoor recreation. Domes get put over pools in some cases. While these efforts are well received and wonderful alternatives, it’s no secret attendance goes down in the winter. Our first trip to a park was in the winter when all this park had to offer was trails and a hot tub. And it was pretty much a ghost town! (Read about our beginnings here.)
The importance of Vitamin D cannot be understated. The sun is a wonderful natural disinfectant and source of this vital vitamin. In the winter our exposure to the sun is cut down by a lot. Moods tend to be more melancholy than in the other 3 seasons. For those suffering any amount of depression or anxiety, I’m guessing numbers go up in the winter. We may enjoy the beautiful winter wonderland when it first hits. A naked snow angel is a fun pastime. After a good snow (depending on where you live) the novelty can wear off. When it’s just ice and cold, we start counting down the days to spring.
Winter just seems to be hard for so many. I’ve noticed during years of ministry and just life experience that there seems to be more death in Winter than in Spring, Summer, or Autumn months. This hit very close to home here of late. It’s been a hard week! Two days ago we buried my grandma, my last remaining grandparent. Today we had to put down our dog of over 10 years. I suppose this writing is a bit therapeutic for me, as I have shed more tears than I have in some time. As Christian believers, we take encouragement from 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18, knowing we do not grieve like those who have no hope. However, these are real issues that cause sadness. It’s ok to be sad. Death makes the other seasonal issues seem a bit trite.
That’s not to say those other issues aren’t valid because they certainly are. So I’d like to circle back and close this short blog post with question for you, dear reader, and make this interactive. In the comments, let’s hear how you cope with everything from winter blues to the death of a loved one? Answer however you’d like about whatever issue you’d like to focus on. Let’s encourage each other in these difficult days.
#hard #Aching #Eden
