Winter Wheeler

Love and Creation

Sometimes I struggle with depression in the winter. Thankfully, we have a south-facing upstairs bedroom that I use as an office/meditation space/guest bedroom. It lets in a lot of warmth and sunlight. I painted it yellow. Even the ceiling and door are yellow. We call it The Yellow Room. 

I love it. Next to a large window, there's a twin bed with lots of colorful pillows on a soft white comforter. One of my favorite things to do is to lie down on that bed, pull the blinds up to the top so there is only glass between me and outside, and soak in the sunshine. Sometimes I read. Sometimes I fall asleep. It helps.

I was talking to a loved one about my feelings one very sad morning. I was asking for help. This person suggested positive thinking, but also shared some personal beliefs. Two things they mentioned are love and creation. Creation, they said, includes creation of order. I'd told them that I was having trouble with all the doing and redoing of mundane things like washing laundry and doing dishes. They reminded me that taking care of those things creates order, so it's a type of creativity.

The idea of creating order motivated me to hang up something I'd made years ago onto the yellow room's wall. The paintings were just on the floor, propped against a desk, waiting for a new location. It felt great to put them on the wall.

Being creative helps my sadness. Putting up Christmas lights in the kitchen was also a kind of creation of order.

Then there's being outside in nature, out in God's creation. That helps too, especially when the sky is blue and the sun is shining, but also when it isn't. Walking with people I love makes it easier. Creation fills me with gratitude.

I'm thankful for love and creation. I'm thankful to my loved one for reminding me those things matter. They can help lift sadness on gray days.