There’s something about us rural folk and the appreciation we have of just how beautiful our surroundings can be.
For those of you that know me, you know that sunsets, sunrises, and a bright starry sky can make me take a deep breath in ways that not much else can.
Lately, I’ve been stuck in my head a little more than usual, which can sometimes make sleep difficult and focus tricky, and cause my heart to beat just a little bit faster. Listen — it’s that time of the year. It’s no longer the beginning of the year, but the weight of what we have to accomplish in a single growing season has once again become real, and that’s only counting the things we currently know about.
As I’ll always say, if you’re feeling like this — you definitely aren’t alone. Cliché or not, it’s something important to remember. Cliches are there for a reason, after all.
Last night was one of those nights that I was reminded of the bigger picture. My partner Braydon came into the house saying “Kara, you’ve got to see this!”
A quick step onto my deck showed me the sky was dancing in front of my eyes. Now, I’ve seen the Northern Lights before. But not like this. The whole sky was lit up. The moon was glowing. The stars were plentiful. Normally, I’d be running straight to my camera, and although I did take some pictures, I found myself laying in the middle of our frozen grass, looking straight up.
Taking that deep breath — in, then out.
We are surrounded by so much incredible beauty. I could go on with so many descriptive words, but I’ll leave it at one: wow.
While I had a bit of a feeling like I was the only person in the universe as I looked up, I think it was even cooler when I came inside, hopped on social media, and suddenly realized how widespread this phenomena was. Person after person, across a huge swath of the north was posting a similar view — from Ontario, to North Dakota, to downtown Calgary, down to southern Montana. And just like that, I felt united. I felt like I was a part of something.
Where am I going with this? It made me realize, that even when we feel like we are totally alone, that’s often not the case.
So take those breaths. Feel united. Feel invisible. Feel overwhelmed. Just feel those feelings, and take those breaths. We’ve got this. There is so much beauty every single day — but sometimes, these little things happen to remind us what is important.
And if you missed the Northern Lights…take a look out your window tonight — they’re supposed to be even stronger. And if you get a cool picture, you can either send it to me: [email protected], or tweet at me @KaraOosterhuis. I would love to hear from you!
Don’t forget: we’ve got this!