January is here. Cold, quiet, reflective January. In Minnesota, January is generally our coldest month. With temperatures often hanging out below zero degrees Fahrenheit and wind chills often many degrees below that, it is easy to have negative feelings towards this first month of the year. However, I love January. I love it because it's quiet. It's the time of year where everyone hibernates just a bit more. We've all spent lots of time with family and friends over the holidays and so there is time to pull away a bit more and just stay in. It's a time to lay low and reflect. Perhaps it's the newness of the year that prompts this reflection, or perhaps it's that this month is one of the only months out of the year that really allows time for reflection. For me, February and March involve a lot of summer planning both for gardening and travel, April and May bring us outside a bit more in preparation for the warmer weather, the summer months fly by in a flash with fun and work intertwined from sun up to sundown, September grounds us again as school and work start up and the leaves begin to fall. October's filled with warm clothes, bonfires, and preparations for winter, and November and December are, of course, filled with gatherings, making, and gifting. So, that leaves January. Cold, quiet, reflective January.
This January, I'm finding myself reflecting on my relationships with people. Those I work with, do life with, and love with. This year I'm wanting to be more intentional with those people. I'm wanting to make more of an effort to connect, not just about day-to-day happenings, but also about matters of the heart. I want this year to find me going deeper in the relationships that surround me.
What about you? What are you reflecting on during this quiet January?