A time to hustle or reflect?
The Abdu Review
“Nature, however, is also characterized by the necessity of accepting whatever comes along, existing in the present, concentrating on the ‘here and now,’without the need to address everyday duties, ‘I see a squirrel, so I look at it, here’s a cobweb, you accept things as they come, you do not think about anything else’ (2). What is important is that being conscious of nature (in terms of the environment as well as one’s relationship to others) is not an active–free or rational-decision.”- Winter outdoor trekking: spiritual aspects of environmental education published by Ivo Jirásek, Pavel Veselský & Jiří Poslt
You’re surrounded by thousands of people tightly gripping barricades and their lovers. The sky is waiting to be ambushed with lights as everyone gazes at the clock ticking to midnight. Energy courses through the crowd finally reaching you. Chants begin to bounce off concrete buildings, light-up glasses illuminate grinning faces, and women prepare to have the kiss of life. Hold onto the cold like it is the marker for new beginnings. The clock strikes- in rejoice, the crowd drinks!
The next day is filled with new agendas, usually looking like…
New summer bod.
Eating healthier.
Not letting the dishes stay in the sink more than two days…
Traveling !
Start that business!
Be more active!
— Honestly, the list goes on. I noticed through my years of living, something wasn’t clicking. As I delved into environmental studies (really scratching the surface), I had an obvious and apparent epiphany of the Earth’s movement through seasons.
I was moving through the seasons without regard because it is a constant condition I never questioned.
A thought continued to burden my mind, “ Why can’t I be still—like the trees in the dead of winter.” American culture has a deadly hustle-work trade which never resonated with me— through any season, especially when the Earth is physically and visually proclaiming its process of shedding. The animals go into hibernation and the population works industriously in the depths of winter. Be forreal.
I did some digging to find backup for this theory, which I didn’t create; simply adding to the collective conversation. I found the Seasonal Food Guide. It provides an extensive database of seasonal foods while offering in-depth information on local produce, seasonal fruits, veggies, herbs, legumes, and nuts! As we go down the rabbit hole, it is key to note the foods referenced are applicable to the growing seasons and climate of the United States of America. Anything imported is not referenced and as you can imagine— may skew the results in my research.
When we look at food, one of the most vital supplements to our vitality, we can see how the Earth provides us with the right food at the right time.
According to the Seasonal Food Guide, burdock root usually is in season during the month of February. While it’s considered medicinal, this vegetable is ideal for stir fries, soups, and homemade juice. Burdock is tough so be careful to not get it stuck in your juicer—not that it happened to me. It is a vegetable high in antioxidants helping to detoxify and promote beneficial bacteria in the gut. So you’re reading and think how does Burdock contribute to any of this? Its growth season is no coincidence at all. Its high nutrition provides us the necessary supplements in the cold of winter, restoring us from within. You can think about this metaphorically as well. The Earth sleeps, looking dead to the naked eye. Yet there is an inner world of magic that is occurring at a root level, giving us our dulcet flowers and fruits in April.
Garlic is the it girl and always will be. It is a constant ingredient elevating the nature of any dish and extremely relevant to kitchens of various backgrounds. It too grows mainly during the month of February. Growing up in cultural households, we have heard the fundamentals of its benefits. If you contracted the cold or flu, you may have eaten it directly—yikes. Or rather it may have been paired with honey. According to the Seasonal Food Guide, 90 percent of U.S garlic imports are shipped from China contributing to a large carbon footprint. I encourage readers to source their garlic from local farms or even attempt to grow it. It is often planted in the fall with hope that it emerges above the soil surface. This indicates successful root sprouting withstanding winter damage. The durability of garlic to grow in such an intense and biting cold is a testament to restoration. Its shelf life may last for months exemplifying durability.
Winter squash is another vegetable I have become more acquainted with. Starting in the fall months of September, you may see these in the market till February. It packs a punch not only with flavor but also contains high amounts of Vitamin A, B6, and C. It is a preventative for strokes and a mighty disease wrestler.
As the Earth’s energy is pulled into its core, we must exemplify this within ourselves. I listed a few nourishing foods to be consumed, and most importantly— if possible they should be shared within community. There is a slower pace of season, amplifying a reset to rejuvenate for the next. Now if I haven’t lost you, there is an additional point I'd like to make.
There is a spiritual approach to all seasons. Since the topic at hand is winter, it is important to note that with all things, you must cultivate a space to welcome it- the cold, the webbed naked trees, and the universal stillness that surrounds us all. This season enforces adversity, where everything seems to be commencing death. There is an internal gravitation to inspect yourself from within. The inner workings of the soul are laid out, ready to be restructured.
Let’s be realistic. With global warming creating a domino effect of world tragedies, this too affects what winter is. During a time that is meant for the Earth to restabilize, there are fluctuations that disturb and impact our internal beings, communities, and climate. How do we create a new balance?
This will look different for everyone. I thought about this question and pondered for much too long. I thought maybe, the simplest resolution is for the Earth to explode, each of us disintegrating into atoms. Of course, that wouldn’t happen. It was just a thought. It’s frustrating trying to fix the doings of greedy capitalists and ignorant citizens but there are common goals we can implement. Awareness is more effective than what we give it credit for. It is vital for us to predict the conditions of our environment so we can respond accordingly. “The transition from winter to spring (snow melt and soil thaw) can be a time of accelerated transport and loss of nutrients (Hobbie and Chapin 1996), and soil freezing and other stressors associated with winter can have a substantial effect on primary production over the subsequent growing season (Kreyling 2010; Reinmann et al. 2019).” With help from Canadian Science Publishing, this quote helps reveal the sensitivities of our ecosystem and how the ability to capture these results come with time, something we don’t have abundance of.
As much as I want journaling and meditation to be our simple solutions, I think our adaptability to our questionable winters help progress our individual experiences. Heal yourself with food. Heal by loving yourself, then spreading it to your neighbors. Heal by considering the ecosystems that play a major role in our mere existence. Our future is eerie yet engaging in introspection, compassion, and kindness can pave a favorable future. Winter is a mandatory process for life on Earth. Something so vital and easily overlooked— I hope has been resurrected with urgency.
Growing garlic in the garden. (n.d.). Ohioline. https://ohioline.osu.edu/factsheet/hyg-1627
Hagerty, S. (2023, October 6). How to survive a spiritual winter. Desiring God. https://www.desiringgod.org/articles/how-to-survive-a-spiritual-winter
Jirásek, I., Veselský, P., & Poslt, J. (2016). Winter outdoor trekking: spiritual aspects of environmental education. Environmental Education Research, 23(1), 1–22. https://doi.org/10.1080/13504622.2016.1149553
Real Food Encyclopedia - Burdock - FoodPrint. (2023, December 15). FoodPrint. https://foodprint.org/real-food/burdock/
Real Food Encyclopedia - Garlic - FoodPrint. (2018, October 26). FoodPrint. https://foodprint.org/real-food/garlic/
Real Food Encyclopedia - Garlic - FoodPrint. (2018b, October 26). FoodPrint. https://foodprint.org/real-food/garlic/
Sutton, A. O., Studd, E. K., Fernandes, T., Bates, A. E., Bramburger, A. J., Cooke, S. J., Hayden, B., Henry, H. a. L., Humphries, M. M., Martin, R., McMeans, B. C., Moise, E. R. D., O’Sullivan, A. M., Sharma, S., & Templer, P. H. (2021). Frozen out: unanswered questions about winter biology. Environmental Reviews, 29(4), 431–442. https://doi.org/10.1139/er-2020-0127
Winter squash: Everything you need to know - FoodPrint. (2023, November 17). FoodPrint. https://foodprint.org/real-food/real-food-encyclopedia-winter-squash/
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