Breathe.

It's snowing today.  Man....I hate this white fluffy stuff.  (Probably causing all of the hard-core skiers to gasp.) (Oh and the farmers...sorry buds.  Hate all the precipitation that's going to help you have a livelihood.)

Oh brother.  Probably because I'm an Arizona native, but this time of year, I yearn for warm weather.  The time I have to walk outside, take a deep breath, and smell sunshine.  Yeah, sunshine has a smell.  Often confused with the smell of sweat. :)

In all seriousness, I do love to take my deep breaths and not have to worry about getting all the trapped winter gunk into my lungs.  Breathing the fresh air is one of the world's greatest privileges.

That's why I feel that the one-word resolution that I have this year is perfect.  My word is breathe.  Breathe.  Take a deep breath.  Breathe in...breathe out.

I don't know if anyone else has breathed it before, but that smell in the fall?  No, I don't think it smells like burning leaves...I have never smelled that in the fall, and I don't have any earthly idea why people would burn leaves during the fall or why people think fall smells like it.  I digress.  Fall to me smells sharp.  Sharp with the unforgiving wind that comes with being trapped in the small building for 6 hours a day taking notes on randomly selected topics that apparently help you later in life.  It smells alive.  And slightly cold.  It smells wonderful.

Spring.  Spring is softer.  It gently hints at freedom and adventure and comfort.  It smells cold too, but different.  Instead of condemning you, it is wishing you farewell.  The cold is running to the South and is throwing a going away party.

Summer.  Summer is so intoxicating it almost makes you breathless.  It is heavy, almost drenched, with ability.  You can do whatever you like.  Whatever, whenever.  It seems hot and heavy, but not in a bad way.  Heavy enough to keep you grounded and not floating through the air on puffy daydreams.

And winter.  Winter seems stark.  It makes you want to tuck your head a dig deep.  It's a time to recap and reassess.   A time to push harder and reach higher.  The air pushes you inside to do what you have to.  It's the recovery time for Nature.  Give it a break. It's sleeping.

I really truly love to breathe deeply and feel the air.  I would encourage it.  Who knows, it may make you write a blog post about it or something weird like that.  :)