Hibernation

A few weeks back, as the winds blew and the snow piled up faster than I could imagine, I complained to my friend Kristi that there must be some way that I could hibernate and skip the cold and snow and wintry months altogether. I assumed that it was simply an impossibility for humans...we're built to hustle and bustle and work too hard and remain plugged in to our many devices that we are so dependent on. But, as I found out this Christmas, it is entirely possible for a human to hibernate, even for a short while.

This Christmas, I headed off toward the folks' a day early due to impending weather, and I headed back to my little homestead a day later than expected for the same reason...leaving me at their place for six days instead of four. But I can't say I minded. All Christmas traditions (with the exception of a few little ones) were kept, and there were days to spare. My mom and I spent most of those extra days in pajamas, sleeping in way too late, lounging around, and eating far too much...sounds like hibernation to me. So, for six glorious days, I didn't check email, rarely checked my phone, did not get on facebook, did not do homework, did not even think about work... How glorious! It was true, real rest for the first time since probably last summer that I stopped everything to do nothing.

So, although I did not sleep until sometime mid-March when the grass begins to turn a warm shade of new green and peek up through the melting snow, I did manage to rest for nearly a full week, and that has made a world of difference. I'm ready now to tackle anything this new year has to offer. And although I may not have bounded out of bed this morning earlier than my alarm clock, I did manage to revel in the sunrise as I headed off to work, and that in itself felt a little like a new beginning, like the start of spring as those hibernating animals begin to shake loose from sleep. And it was good.