Wintering.
The New New Year
This January, let us all remember that man invented the Gregorian calendar. That nature does not rebirth on January 1st. January is winter. It is cold. Isn’t it time to go inside and rest? To rebirth in the spring? This is the first New Year’s I have felt this pull to not jump on the new year, new me trend. I am being pulled to rest, to wait, to rejuvenate, and to let nature take care of my body and my mind. My heart is being stretched to excavate what is truly important and to prepare for that in the seasons to come. Nothing in nature is new right now. Seeds are still curled up in cold soil, awaiting their time, animals are hibernating, and trees are sleeping. Have you ever thought that the pressure we feel every new year is man-made? This year, I refused to allow myself to feel that. I need to remind myself of this when I am asking the husband about our to-do list. Spring is the time of all things new, when growth happens, and the sun stays for longer; the days become busy; the food is full of flavor. Let us prepare for that. Save your energy for those days. What will you build, make, and create when that time comes?
I will celebrate a new year; we made a vision board as a family. We know what we want from ourselves and for our family this year, but I am letting nature take the lead. The temperature tells me it’s not time to hustle but to rest. To go inside and snuggle. To read good books, watch good movies, love my family, and enjoy our unpacked schedule this season. No sports are happening right now. Just work, school, our separate youth groups, and bible studies. So more of that to savor, and be grateful for the family dinners, and slow evenings. The sun knows, it goes down early. We should take more advice from it this winter. Let’s wait. Let’s rest and see what we want before going after something when our bodies haven’t had ample time to relax in anticipation of it.
The lord will fight for you; you need only to be still. Exodus 14:14
This January is different. The end of the year was different. It’s slower. It’s softer. The numbers may have changed on the date, but for my family and me, we are slowing down and enjoying winter. I started to reminisce about how New Year's in the past felt like we had to create and invent all over again, and this new version needed to come forth before the glitter and glam of Christmas décor had even been organized and put away. We all make a list of resolutions, grab a gym membership that’s dusty by mid-February, and then spend the next 10 months feeling like we failed. What if this year were different? I began to think. What if we observed how nature handles time and let that lead the year instead?
It is winter. The hibernation of nature should guide us. Let’s all enjoy the coziness of winter. Let’s continue to reflect on what the past year blessed us with, taught us, and stirred up inside. What if we gather around a fire and contemplate what’s next when we do bloom? Does it have to be a NEW version of us, or can it be a well-rested one? Isn’t that new for all of us?
“In repentance and rest is your salvation, in quietness and trust is your strength.”
Nightly reading of Luke for Christmas has become nightly bible reading after dinner, and that time is always a cherished moment for all of us. I can see us all coming together at the end of the year, stronger, closer, healthier.
At church this month, we were all asked to pick a word that inspired us for 2026. Without knowing, my husband and I chose the same word.
Focus.
My daughter chose Believe.
My son chose Commit.
For the new mirror above our fireplace, I will have a decal made that reads "Focus, Believe, Commit." We will enjoy the reminder as the year unfolds. But we will not run and jump into some new and improved version of ourselves and our family. We will take steps, share responsibilities, support each other, snuggle, and let winter do its thing.
If the animals know not to rush into the year based on the calendar, we should realize this, too. The new year starts in spring. When growth begins to bud, green appears at the ends of the branches after the ice melts. When the sounds start earlier, and the sun hangs around longer, that is when our year will kick off.
Give yourself permission to rest. To renew this winter. And in the spring comes forth a better version, a rested soul. No matter how last year ended, we can all slow down this month and next, let the weather be our guide. For the first time in my life, I can genuinely say, “Hi, winter, it’s nice to meet you.”
Photo Credit: ©Getty Images/ Bohdan Bevz
Kimberly Trigo has always loved writing. It started with poetry when she was a teenager. Kimberly is a stay-at-home mom homeschooling her twins and building a Barndo with her husband—so life is busy! She works part-time in finance and loves helping people succeed financially. Lots of hats, but her most favorite hat of all is motherhood.
