In recent months, I have found myself constantly looking forward to the next thing, the next season, the next anything rather than living in the moment. This December, the moment Christmas was over I was already ready eager for summer to arrive. During the dark nights of winter, I longed for bikinis and sunshine. However, this summer I found myself looking forward to the dark nights and the magical snowfall of winter.
I do not think that it’s completely bad to look forward for the future and be excited for things. Sometimes it’s what you have to do to keep going. But sometimes society pushes us to move too quickly. It’s my last year of high school, and I have come to realize that time moves at what seems like the speed of light. I still feel like a 7th grader but I am looking forward to my 18th summer. What?!
I believe that part of this epidemic of looking forward rather than living in the present stems from fast moving culture of consumerism. In July, the shelves are stocked with fall decor and candles. In September, the Santas and snowmen come out. At the end of December Valentine’s Day cards and candies are already ready to buy. In many ways consciously or subconsciously this pushes our minds from one season to the next, while still physically in the last season.
Always wishing you were in a different season, that it was a different holiday, that you were somewhere else takes a toll on your brain. Though in the U.S. many are already craving summer, in other countries they take time to be present in the season they are in, they enjoy the day without wishing it was tomorrow.
There is a Danish principle called hygge, in short, it involves getting cozy, having blankets, candles, and everything in between. Due to the northern location of Denmark, most of their winters are dark. Too many dark days and cold nights may lead to SAD, seasonal affective disorder. But in Denmark the practice of Hygge allows them to enjoy the winter months, meaning less aspirations of bikinis and warmer temperatures that stem from the dread of winter.
In China, the principles of Yin and Yang prioritize different foods and activities for different times of the year. Yin represents the short days and cold temperatures of winter, while yang is the characteristic of summer. Many believe paying attention to what food you are eating in Yin vs. Yang seasons affects how you live in that season.
If you are a summer person during winter, I get it. Rewatching summer vlogs and TV shows brings joy. It’s fun and exciting to look forward and plan for what’s next. But do not forget to live in the moment. Appreciate the dark days, find magic in the falling snow, and enjoy the present because in the near future, it will be far in the past.
It’s possible that I am having these realizations of time moving too quickly and the dangers of forgetting to enjoy the now because, this will be my last year living at home, my last year of the same routine I’ve always had, and while that is scary and exciting, I’m trying to enjoy it while I have it. Because the comfort of normalcy is fleeting and change is inevitable.
