Cold Morning Walks

Winter is nearing and you can feel it by the way you resist your morning walks. But you still go. You wake up, brush your teeth, put on your coat and hat and thick wool socks. You open the door to step outside and the air is quiet and cold and fresh. The sun is showing up later and later. The sky is red and pink. You’ve left your phone inside because you know this silence does you well. One of the ways you can tell winter is almost here is by the way the air becomes quiet, thinner. You’re reminded that this blanketing of noise is your favorite change about the season. You are walking and your dog is wagging her tail and you remember for the first time today to breathe. You turn the last corner and see your house. You think about how strength and bravery can come in small moments, like choosing to step outside. You make it back home and the warmth welcomes you. You take off your layers and go to feed your dog knowing that even if the rest of the day goes to shit, you have already done something worth being proud of.