(Letter to the Editor - Photo Illustration - MetroCreativeConnection)

Well, all the excitement, simply called “The Holidays” is over. It’s cold outside with temperatures in the single digits. The sun goes down before most of us have supper. Wintertime is here. Before retirement, getting up each morning to leave for work in January and February was difficult for me. It was cold and dark with family- and friend- filled days over for another year.

These days I have the luxury of staying up however late I want and sleeping in until I feel like getting up. That is one perk of getting old that I really like. There are retired people who still get up early and stick to a routine. Not me, unless you count watching movies until 4 or 5 o’clock in the morning routine. I sleep and eat when my body tells me it’s time. As long as the steps to the porch are cleared off for the mail carrier I can stay inside and look out at the beautiful, peaceful snow. Of course, we do have doctor’s appointments, etc. on the calendar, which can be rescheduled if need be. From the looks of the grocery store shelves before the snow came I’d say most everyone stocked up what they could so they didn’t have to go out if we got all the snow predicted. But with you being younger and still working, you still have to set the alarm, get out of bed, and face another cold day.

If you are one of the people who have trouble with winter blues or depression, I can tell you I’ve been there. Each day was an effort to get up and get dressed. I had to remember although Spring seemed far away it would eventually get here. I knew from past experiences that there was light at the end of the tunnel. I was fortunate enough to have a family that stood beside me when I wasn’t up to par. There are doctors and other means of professional help out there for anyone who is having a difficult time waiting for Spring. Sometimes just confiding in a trusted friend can be that little help we need to make each day a little brighter.

Speaking of brighter, yesterday when I went out for an appointment it was so cold but there was that bright, beautiful sunshine. I realized I was smiling at the chance to enjoy another day. I was still around and kicking. I may not kick as high as I used to but I’m still out there giving it my best shot.

Why don’t you try smiling? It can be contagious. The next person you pass may need cheering up, too.

Bonita (Bonnie) Eaton

Vienna