gooollysandra

Thoughts on thoughts and images of beautiful things

Tag Archives: cold

Life is absurd

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When you think about it, life is completely absurd. There is so much sadness in the world, but also so much joy, and the clash between the two is a difficult thing to come to terms with sometimes. I get sad around the holidays when I think about people who spend them alone because they have no one to spend them with. I also get sad during the winter when I think about homeless people that have to stay outside in the unbearable, freezing weather. I am sad for animals in shelters who have no home, and I am sad for families who do not have money to buy Christmas presents for their children. Amidst all this sadness, we sometimes catch a glimpse of something so extraordinary and pure that brings us joy and happiness practically to the point of tears. Such events occur to me when I visit my grandfather in the nursing home and see his face light up when I walk into the room. Or when I’m at the symphony and I hear a beautiful, perfect melody. This happened to me recently, at the nursing home actually. I was visiting my grandpa and they had a concert for the residents. The concert was put on by a group of children, and although they were still learning and not fantastic, their harmony and unity was so beautiful I had tears in my eyes. It was also nice to share that moment with my grandpa. Moments like these overwhelm us with joy and beauty, while others overwhelm us with sadness. Although this clash seems absurd and is difficult to understand, we get through life experiencing a combination of both.

Winter

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Winter can be brutally cold. But there is something about how miserable and difficult it can be that tests our stamina and makes us stronger. I see it, in a sense, as a time of renewal, which although typically associated with springtime I think can happen during winter as well. As we trudge through the snow and sail through the wind blowing in our faces we persevere and await the much appreciated warmth that comes along with the indoors. As we look around us at the seemingly dead trees we look forward to spring and the rebirth that it brings. As we think about the animals that somehow manage to survive outside in the cold we think of how brave and strong they must be. As we think about people who have to stay outside in the cold because they have no place to take shelter we get sad and are grateful for how lucky we are to be indoors under our blankets. The wait for spring and rebirth is a long wait, and as we wait, we renew.