The Promise Just Beneath the Surface
Last week, I stepped outside and paused for a moment, letting the sun warm my face. It was one of those unexpected Midwest days, the kind where winter loosens its grip just enough to let you believe spring might already be here. The air felt soft, almost forgiving. I left my coat unzipped, tilted my face toward the light, and for a brief moment, everything felt like possibility.
You could almost hear it…the quiet whisper of something new on the way.
And then, the very next day, winter returned. The wind howled. The temperatures dropped. Snow threatened to fall. The sky turned gray again, and just like that, the invitation to step outside was replaced with the urge to retreat inward, to hibernate, to stay bundled up, to wait it out.
If you live in the Midwest, you know this rhythm well. One day feels like a promise, the next feels like a reminder that we’re not quite there yet. And if I’m being honest, it can feel a little like an emotional tug-of-war.
There’s something about this time of year that can feel… heavy. The holidays are behind us. The days are still short, and the landscape still wears shades of brown and gray. We start longing for something different, more light, more warmth, more life.
We want spring. But we’re not quite there yet.
And that in-between space can feel like the winter doldrums, where motivation dips, energy feels low, and everything inside us wants to wait until “things change” before we fully show up again. But what if this in-between season has something to offer us too?
That warm day last week reminded me of something important, change is already happening, even if we can’t see it fully yet. Beneath the frozen ground, something is stirring. Roots are waking up. Seeds are preparing.
Spring doesn’t arrive all at once. It unfolds quietly, patiently, beneath the surface long before we ever see the first bloom. And maybe our lives are a little like that too.
There are seasons when everything feels vibrant and alive, full of energy and forward movement. And then there are seasons that feel slower, quieter, even a little uncertain.
But just because we can’t see the growth doesn’t mean it isn’t happening.
Of course, it’s tempting to want to escape winter altogether. A warm beach. Sunshine every day. Flip-flops instead of boots.
But sometimes that’s not an option. So we learn to find warmth in other ways.
We create little pockets of light, opening the blinds wide on sunny days, taking a walk when the weather allows, wrapping ourselves in cozy blankets with a warm drink, connecting with people who lift our spirits.
We look for the glimmers. Because even in the middle of winter, they are there.
That brief, sun-soaked day last week wasn’t just a tease, it was a reminder. A reminder that winter doesn’t last forever. A reminder that change is already in motion. A reminder that something new is on its way.
And perhaps that’s true not just in nature, but in our lives as well.
Maybe you’re in a season that feels slow or uncertain. Maybe things feel paused, unclear, or not quite where you hoped they’d be. But just like the earth beneath our feet, there may be more happening than you realize.
Growth doesn’t always look like progress.
Sometimes it looks like rest.
Sometimes it looks like waiting.
And sometimes, it looks like trusting that what’s coming will arrive in its own perfect time.
So if you find yourself caught between seasons and craving what’s next but still standing in what is, be gentle with yourself.
Step outside when the sun appears. Let the light touch your face. Breathe in possibility, even if it only lasts for a moment. Because those moments matter.
They remind us that even when the wind returns and the skies turn gray again, the promise of something new hasn’t gone anywhere. It’s still there.
Quietly waiting. Unfolding beneath the surface. And when the time is right, it will bloom.
Until then, we hold onto the hope, the small glimpses, the fleeting warmth, trusting that even in the heart of winter, we are moving closer to something beautiful. Because sometimes, the most powerful reminder we need is this, even when we can’t yet see it, there is always the promise just beneath the surface.
xo, Sheryl
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