Beautiful. It resonated with me. In the past, but also now as I am in a transitioning period - about to become a mother for the first time in a few months (something unexpected which I thought impossible, given a history of endometriosis and several surgeries) and witnessing my body and life changing. I feel like reading Katherine's work. Sounded very soothing and poetic. Thank you for sharing, Susan.
Maria Popova recommended Wintering in January 2023, or at least that’s when I saw it and bought the book. I also bought Kuhn’s The Structure of Scientific Revolutions at the same time. Interesting that both May and Kuhn mention “anomalies” in their texts. I didn’t catch the coincidence until I read above today, Susan. I’ll be getting back to the book(s) thanks to this prompt. :) Highly recommended MP’s write up in The Marginalian. I learned the word/concept of abscission—“The dropping of leaves by deciduous trees is called abscission. It occurs on the cusp between autumn and winter, as part of an arc of growth, maturity, and renewal. In spring and summer, leaf cells are full of chlorophyll, a bright green substance that absorbs sunlight, fueling the process that converts carbon dioxide and water into the starch and sugar that allow the tree to grow.” A little separation can make us grow…
I had never heard of this author or book before, but I found the passages very moving and have read them repeatedly. If you've been able to see how you contributed to the good in the world and then are no longer doing that work, you feel isolated and lost and a bit hopeless. It's hard to have much confidence that this time of separation will ever end. These words provided some encouragement and hope.
I think I’ve read all her work, and given her books to most of my friends . Her brilliant and clever writing and wisdom have soothed my harried soul. After I was widowed , I felt like she was the only one who understood what I was going through. Thank you for inviting her in . 💜
I'm so grateful for the self-acceptance/ self-compassion this book gave me. A friend of mine sent me "Wintering" when I was having a hard time and the first affect was I felt less alone.
Wow! This post was very relevant to my life. I've often thought about what the title of my autobiography would be. Something along the lines of "Born into Winter" or "A Life in Winter." I've been looking for a book to read and work to do this winter... BOOM! The paintings are really great as well!
Yes, I have read her & listened to her being interviewed. Winter is my time to be quiet, restore, reflect, & journal. I also love being outside in the winter. I'm sure it's past lives in the Himalayas :)
I’ll be getting a copy, Katherine’s words resonated and took some of the shame of feeling how I do following several big life events that changed me and my world forever. And as always, the images are just so beautiful. I need a thread of just beautiful images I think 💜
I would love to read her book. I CRAVE rest, solitude, and cooler weather. I love the snow, snow storms, and the silence so deep, you can hear the flakes fall. OTOH, summer is difficult for me—the hustle, the bustle, the noise, high expectations for getting together with people. Of course, that’s just me, flaming introvert that I am.
Susan, deepest thanks. The pictures you shared are gorgeous. I feel like I have been in a Wintering season for the last 4 1/2 years. Since my husband’s death. It has been the straw that broke the camel’s back if you will. All former close friendships/relationships have disappeared. It is a very different landscape I find myself navigating these days. I have tried to read Katherine’s book. I don’t have the best recall at this time. I appreciated what she shared here. I am going to reread her book. Also: I am grateful for everyone’s shared experiences here on Substack. It has been a struggle (since my husband’s death) to find the words to articulate my thoughts & feelings. Reading others experiences helps so much.
Mmmmmm. I wish I understood this concept more clearly after the loss of my father. I fought it so deeply, this moment of rest, of cold, of grief. As an endurance athlete I understand how important seasons of rest of to re build physically, why have I not allowed that psychologically or mentally. Love this.
I, too, read Wintering in 2021 after hearing Katherine being interviewed by Krista Tippett (On Being podcast.) I immediately resonated with the concept, particularly as I had just moved to an even colder climate (Toronto to Montreal) in the middle of COVID. It gave me permission to slow down in certain periods of my life and embrace being a hermit every once in a while.
I have never heard of Katherine May or her book. I love the concept.
I had many winters during my 62 years. As a fellow late-diagnosed autistic individual, I know what it means. I have also lived through four bankruptcies and four autistic burn-outs. But the current wintering is the most prevalent. Nine years ago, I was diagnosed with cancer, lost my job, and shortly thereafter lost my church affiliation and all relationships but family and two friends.
Since then, many days have felt like spring emerging, with icicles dripping, only to be followed by the next cold front. My cancer markers keep rising whenever I finish the hormone deprivation, and each glimmer of hope when sending a job application wears out as I do not get an answer.
I have my survival strategies. I hibernated for quite a while. Now, I write. I show up on newsletters and forums, and I publish my thinking here on Substack and in my books. It feels like I'm exercising my muscles so I don't freeze.
I would not miss this time even if I could go back. I have learned so much about myself and others. I have matured. I don't know whether I am ready for spring, but I am certainly more prepared than before.
Such beauty-filled, perceptive sharing from Katherine and all of you! In this community, funny to say, it is almost embarrassing to admit I am one of those insanely lucky (unlucky?) people who has had an almost completely sunny life. Truly fascinating for me to read how many of you prefer winter and shorter days. I relish the opportunity to understand what makes others tick. Surely all these sides to ourselves is what creates depth. So grateful for all of you.
I read Wintering over 2 years ago, it helped me understand better what I was going through then, and now, since I am still in that same wintering season, but finally (hopefully!) coming out of it. In my case, many big changes happened in my life at the same time, and without having any support to face them, I burned out. This wintering has already taught me a lot about myself and others, and I think I'll continue to learn from this difficult season for the rest of my days. It has shown me that I, too, have the tenacity she describes.
After reading Wintering, I read Katherine's other books, Enchantment and The Electricity of Every Living Thing. I took every autism test she mentions and the results say that I am probably an Aspie too (which makes total sense and explains a lot). After reading about her time walking the South West Coast Path I started reading other hiking books and planning for my future hiking trips (once my kids are older and it is finally possible for me to disappear for a few days).
I deeply enjoy her writing style. Her clarity, humor and honesty make reading her books a lovely time, like chatting with a dear friend.
"We must stop believing that these times in our lives are somehow silly, a failure of nerve, a lack of willpower. We must stop trying to ignore them or dispose of them. They are real, and they are asking something of us. We must learn to invite the winter in. We may never choose to winter, but we can choose how."
These few sentences were one of the most profound in the excerpt for me. I've gone through a few seasons of wintering, and I've gone through these feelings -- wanting to ignore or dispose of them. They've never gone away; instead, they've lingered. I'm still figuring out how to let the winter in and see what I can learn from these periods of self-reflection. They're tough to go through sometimes, but valuable in their own way.
I've never read Katherine's work before, but I will be picking up a copy soon based on this excerpt. I'm interested to see what else lies inside her book.
Beautiful. It resonated with me. In the past, but also now as I am in a transitioning period - about to become a mother for the first time in a few months (something unexpected which I thought impossible, given a history of endometriosis and several surgeries) and witnessing my body and life changing. I feel like reading Katherine's work. Sounded very soothing and poetic. Thank you for sharing, Susan.
Maria Popova recommended Wintering in January 2023, or at least that’s when I saw it and bought the book. I also bought Kuhn’s The Structure of Scientific Revolutions at the same time. Interesting that both May and Kuhn mention “anomalies” in their texts. I didn’t catch the coincidence until I read above today, Susan. I’ll be getting back to the book(s) thanks to this prompt. :) Highly recommended MP’s write up in The Marginalian. I learned the word/concept of abscission—“The dropping of leaves by deciduous trees is called abscission. It occurs on the cusp between autumn and winter, as part of an arc of growth, maturity, and renewal. In spring and summer, leaf cells are full of chlorophyll, a bright green substance that absorbs sunlight, fueling the process that converts carbon dioxide and water into the starch and sugar that allow the tree to grow.” A little separation can make us grow…
I had never heard of this author or book before, but I found the passages very moving and have read them repeatedly. If you've been able to see how you contributed to the good in the world and then are no longer doing that work, you feel isolated and lost and a bit hopeless. It's hard to have much confidence that this time of separation will ever end. These words provided some encouragement and hope.
I think I’ve read all her work, and given her books to most of my friends . Her brilliant and clever writing and wisdom have soothed my harried soul. After I was widowed , I felt like she was the only one who understood what I was going through. Thank you for inviting her in . 💜
I'm so grateful for the self-acceptance/ self-compassion this book gave me. A friend of mine sent me "Wintering" when I was having a hard time and the first affect was I felt less alone.
Wow! This post was very relevant to my life. I've often thought about what the title of my autobiography would be. Something along the lines of "Born into Winter" or "A Life in Winter." I've been looking for a book to read and work to do this winter... BOOM! The paintings are really great as well!
Yes, I have read her & listened to her being interviewed. Winter is my time to be quiet, restore, reflect, & journal. I also love being outside in the winter. I'm sure it's past lives in the Himalayas :)
I’ll be getting a copy, Katherine’s words resonated and took some of the shame of feeling how I do following several big life events that changed me and my world forever. And as always, the images are just so beautiful. I need a thread of just beautiful images I think 💜
I would love to read her book. I CRAVE rest, solitude, and cooler weather. I love the snow, snow storms, and the silence so deep, you can hear the flakes fall. OTOH, summer is difficult for me—the hustle, the bustle, the noise, high expectations for getting together with people. Of course, that’s just me, flaming introvert that I am.
Susan, deepest thanks. The pictures you shared are gorgeous. I feel like I have been in a Wintering season for the last 4 1/2 years. Since my husband’s death. It has been the straw that broke the camel’s back if you will. All former close friendships/relationships have disappeared. It is a very different landscape I find myself navigating these days. I have tried to read Katherine’s book. I don’t have the best recall at this time. I appreciated what she shared here. I am going to reread her book. Also: I am grateful for everyone’s shared experiences here on Substack. It has been a struggle (since my husband’s death) to find the words to articulate my thoughts & feelings. Reading others experiences helps so much.
Mmmmmm. I wish I understood this concept more clearly after the loss of my father. I fought it so deeply, this moment of rest, of cold, of grief. As an endurance athlete I understand how important seasons of rest of to re build physically, why have I not allowed that psychologically or mentally. Love this.
I, too, read Wintering in 2021 after hearing Katherine being interviewed by Krista Tippett (On Being podcast.) I immediately resonated with the concept, particularly as I had just moved to an even colder climate (Toronto to Montreal) in the middle of COVID. It gave me permission to slow down in certain periods of my life and embrace being a hermit every once in a while.
I have never heard of Katherine May or her book. I love the concept.
I had many winters during my 62 years. As a fellow late-diagnosed autistic individual, I know what it means. I have also lived through four bankruptcies and four autistic burn-outs. But the current wintering is the most prevalent. Nine years ago, I was diagnosed with cancer, lost my job, and shortly thereafter lost my church affiliation and all relationships but family and two friends.
Since then, many days have felt like spring emerging, with icicles dripping, only to be followed by the next cold front. My cancer markers keep rising whenever I finish the hormone deprivation, and each glimmer of hope when sending a job application wears out as I do not get an answer.
I have my survival strategies. I hibernated for quite a while. Now, I write. I show up on newsletters and forums, and I publish my thinking here on Substack and in my books. It feels like I'm exercising my muscles so I don't freeze.
I would not miss this time even if I could go back. I have learned so much about myself and others. I have matured. I don't know whether I am ready for spring, but I am certainly more prepared than before.
Such beauty-filled, perceptive sharing from Katherine and all of you! In this community, funny to say, it is almost embarrassing to admit I am one of those insanely lucky (unlucky?) people who has had an almost completely sunny life. Truly fascinating for me to read how many of you prefer winter and shorter days. I relish the opportunity to understand what makes others tick. Surely all these sides to ourselves is what creates depth. So grateful for all of you.
I read Wintering over 2 years ago, it helped me understand better what I was going through then, and now, since I am still in that same wintering season, but finally (hopefully!) coming out of it. In my case, many big changes happened in my life at the same time, and without having any support to face them, I burned out. This wintering has already taught me a lot about myself and others, and I think I'll continue to learn from this difficult season for the rest of my days. It has shown me that I, too, have the tenacity she describes.
After reading Wintering, I read Katherine's other books, Enchantment and The Electricity of Every Living Thing. I took every autism test she mentions and the results say that I am probably an Aspie too (which makes total sense and explains a lot). After reading about her time walking the South West Coast Path I started reading other hiking books and planning for my future hiking trips (once my kids are older and it is finally possible for me to disappear for a few days).
I deeply enjoy her writing style. Her clarity, humor and honesty make reading her books a lovely time, like chatting with a dear friend.
"We must stop believing that these times in our lives are somehow silly, a failure of nerve, a lack of willpower. We must stop trying to ignore them or dispose of them. They are real, and they are asking something of us. We must learn to invite the winter in. We may never choose to winter, but we can choose how."
These few sentences were one of the most profound in the excerpt for me. I've gone through a few seasons of wintering, and I've gone through these feelings -- wanting to ignore or dispose of them. They've never gone away; instead, they've lingered. I'm still figuring out how to let the winter in and see what I can learn from these periods of self-reflection. They're tough to go through sometimes, but valuable in their own way.
I've never read Katherine's work before, but I will be picking up a copy soon based on this excerpt. I'm interested to see what else lies inside her book.