Probably just like many of you, I was caught in the house from last Tuesday evening until Friday afternoon.
Fortunately, we had advanced notice. Once our “big storm” locked our neighbours in Bismarck and Minot down, we knew we were next. Emergency services said to stock up on water and ensure we had everything needed for a few days, and asked us, gently but insistently, to stay home.
So I did. And I tell you these few days were one of the best ones in a long time.
I guess I could have crossed many big projects off of my long-term to-do list. At least I could have cleaned the house after the winter or gotten some studying done. But I didn’t. All I did was watch the snow falling. During those few days, I spent hours with a cup of coffee just looking through the windows.
The valley, which was almost ready for the first green splashes just before, was gradually turning into a winter fairy tale – quiet, cozy and peaceful. Once the wind died down, the last signs of rush disappeared from that world. I live out of town, so I didn’t have any equipment cleaning the streets or any people walking by.
My dogs were hibernating in their doghouses, and wildlife hid in the bush. Even birds, which were causing a ruckus in the backyard every day, happily starting at 5:30 a.m. and going until the night, became completely quiet.
It seemed that outside the snow, everything else was put on pause. Everything was still.
So I allowed my consciousness to quiet down too. I let all worries and concerns go, as there wasn’t much I could do with five-foot snowdrifts in the driveway. They looked like big frozen waves that came out of the white ocean and instantly stopped, creating an obstacle zone all around the house. And I had no intention of even attempting to overcome those obstacles without help.
The help came on Friday when my two best neighbours in the world brought their tractor and skid-steer over and saved me from my winter island, allowing for a happy end to my winter novel.
But before that, I was just observing. I was observing the world around me and the world inside me. As my mind was slowing down, I was observing the changes within myself.
Contemporary life with power, vehicles and the internet allows and also pushes us to move non-stop. And even when I try to slow down, I feel guilty for missing out on living it to the fullest. But since this pause was compulsory, I just surrendered and enjoyed it. And I actually noticed many positives in taking a break.
It allowed me to better understand myself, to understand where I am and who I am, what my values are and what should be my priorities. Before that, I did most things automatically and reactionary. If I had to work, I worked; if someone needed help, I helped; if someone invited me to go somewhere, I went. But rarely did I have a chance to choose or do something I needed or wanted for myself.
With the calving season underway, by the time the storm hit, I also was somewhat tired. My husband and brother-in-law do 99 per cent of the work, but even that little bit of balancing between my job, the farm and other sides of life for me were exhausting enough. I didn’t realize to the fullest how tired I was until again, I got a real break. Since I couldn’t go anywhere, I allowed myself to get as much sleep as I needed, and that sure made a difference.
This pause also allowed me to step back and look at my life from the aside, noticing what was important and what was just creating noise rather than meaning or value. And once that got crossed out, I got more time for things that matter.
I also noticed that this break created space for inspiration, helping to overcome burnout. If you don’t do things you really enjoy for some time, you start missing them and feel more enthusiastic about them later. So once the driveway was cleared, tagging and feeding baby calves felt like a real pleasure and adventure once again.
This little winter break recharged me and helped me re-evaluate many things. It made me feel happier, rested and motivated. It also made me start calling grandma more often. It was just three days, but I think those days made me a better version of myself.
I hope that you got to have as great of a break as I did during the storm. But if not, make sure you have one planned for yourself, as once life comes back out from under that white blanket, it appears to be 100 times more colourful and meaningful than it seemed before.
