December, Divine Pleasures

By Leslie Watkins

After the hustle and bustle of autumn activities, the comfy chair by the fire looks very inviting. Even if we were not able to cross all the items off the to-do list, the weather dictates that enough is enough. We are ready for a long winter’s rest. The flannel sheets come out, thick socks and warm hats. As we snuggle under thick comforters, Mother Nature is blanketing the earth with snow. We are thankful for the warmth and shelter that we enjoy, and for the time to rest.

Sleeping Chipmunk, Leslie Watkins © 2016

As Thomas De Quincey wrote in “Confessions of an English Opium-Eater”: “Let there be a cottage . . . a real cottage . . . a white cottage, embowered with flowering shrubs, so chosen as to unfold a succession of flowers upon the walls, and clustering round the windows through all the months of spring, summer, and autumn—beginning, in fact, with May roses, and ending with jasmine. Let it, however, not be spring, nor summer, nor autumn—but winter, in his sternest shape. This is a most important point in the science of happiness. And I am surprised to see people overlook it, and think it matter of congratulation that winter is going; or, if coming, is not likely to be a severe one. On the contrary, I put up a petition annually, for as much snow, hail, frost, or storm, of one kind or other, as the skies can possibly afford us. Surely every body is aware of the divine pleasures which attend a winter fire-side: candles at four o’clock, warm hearth-rugs, tea, a fair tea-maker, shutters closed, curtains flowing in ample draperies on the floor, whilst the wind and rain are raging audibly without . . .”

Our bodies have evolved around these seasonal changes and the desire to draw near the fire and linger over hearty meals. Sleeping longer is built into our metabolism. In very cold places with long winters, people with scant food stores use the hibernation-like strategy of eating less and sleeping more to get through the season. Our bodies produce hormones that make us sleepy and in turn help us to restore our energy levels. The long dark winter’s nights cause our bodies to secrete more melatonin, and that sends signals to our circadian clock. Seasonal Affective Disorder, or “SAD,” is almost a form of hibernation.

The creatures, gardens, fields and forests are doing the same. Trees have shed their leaves to conserve energy, and herbaceous perennials have died down to the ground. Abscission also helps to reduce the presence of infestations, promoting healthier plants. Chipmunks curl up in cozy nests lined with shredded bark, feathers and pine needles, with their tails tucked over their noses. Taking our cue from nature, we too can slow down, to restore our energy levels and our psyches, and to build up our health with good food, good friends and rest.

With sleep and rest, we gain insight to our psyches by dreaming. Dreams may provide us with inspiration for art or poetry. Dreams act as our internal gyroscopes. They help keep us balanced and true. Accessing the unconscious through our dreams helps to reveal the mysteries of our being. Carl Jung believed that by going even deeper we can connect with the collective unconscious shared by all. Through dreams we may find our way to the divine.

December Chore Checklist

• Join a yoga class.
• Make a wreath.
• Keep a gratitude journal.
• Read a wonderful book.
• Pick some Brussels sprouts from under the snow.
• Observe an amaryllis unfolding.
• Touch base with old friends.
• Watch the birds at the feeder.
• Record your dreams.
• Write a poem.