Jan ‘new’ ary.
January. For some it’s the worst month of the year; it’s sad, really, because the new year has only just been born! What a welcome, 2022!
Over-spending at Christmas, on Boxing Day sales, and not having been paid for what feels like 400 days means January (one of the long months!) can be a bit of a financial nightmare. Cue tightened belts (bit of a cruel comparison in January), leaner diets and refusals to offers of nights out. Maybe January shouldn’t be the first month of the year. Maybe we need to change it to March when new growth appears.
I actually like January. Maybe it’s because I was born in the winter, or maybe it’s because I like the idea that something’s coming. Spring is on its way, and I can already see daffodils poking up from the hard ground, having silently, but determinedly pushed their way up from the darkness. The trees already have their new buds, just waiting for brighter days, before they open up and begin their yearly cycle again. If that surety and preparation isn’t a sign of hope, then I don’t know what is.
There’s also something so pure about winter sun. It may not appear very often, especially in the Northern Hemisphere where low cloud seems to be a daily thing, but when we do get a sunny day, the light is low and intense. It’s not like the punishing, often very humid heat we get in summer months. To me, it feels nourishing and I love to close my eyes and tilt my head back, allowing the soothing rays to kiss my skin. It gives me energy like nothing else.
So, the next time you complain about January being the worst month, just think about the promises it brings. The shortest day has long since passed, and we can look forward to new growth, new life and brighter days.