Everything is Illuminated

There is something about snow that brings out the child in me.

The last few days have been magical. The heavier the snow fell, the lighter I felt. I’ve lost count of how many times I’ve gone for a walk, each time and opportunity to savor and discover what the crunchy fresh fluffiness has revealed.

I feel like Amsterdam and I have lost our mojos a bit this past year. The pandemic disrupted all our lives and invited us to see and do life differently. Snow does that too with the added bonus of reminding us of our capacity for joy. It opens the portal to a place where memory, dreams and the wonder of the present moment exist all at once. Just as the snow has transformed the world around me, it’s also quietened my mind, amplified my light and softened my edges. It’s revealing another side of the city and myself.

Snow invites us to fall in love again with life and ourselves. It provides us with a blank canvas to begin anew, to cut a new path through fresh snow. Against this white backdrop, I’m also seeing things that have been under my nose with new eyes. Snow illuminates the taken for granted like nature’s code written in invisible ink.

Not all days are snow days though. Some days the magic is hard to find. These past few days have reminded me that surviving and thriving can coexist. In amongst the grey there is always the possibility for wonder and rebirth in the most ordinary of moments.

Rain, hail or shine, the moment is always mine, to fully inhabit and to receive all it has to offer. To cut a fresh path with curiosity and willingness. To expect wonder.

With love, x Amanda