Winter Is Here

Standing in your walk-in closet, you scour your tops on the hangers to find the perfect shirt.

You had found snow on the ground this morning when you were walking the dogs. They loved it, but the chill coats your skin, and you need warmer clothes.

You’re already wearing your bootcut yoga pants and black slippers, ready to stay home today. After a few more moments, you decide on your white sweatshirt. It’s nice and soft and fuzzy on the inside.

You walk into the kitchen and start brewing coffee, watching as snow begins to fall. You love watching snowflakes slowly drift onto the ground, piling on top of each other.

This is gonna be a cozy day.

***

Sitting in front of your computer screen, you write a poem about the snow falling onto the ground and the peace it brings you.

You sip the coffee out of your mug as you search your mind for the right words. But you don’t rush it. They will come to you.

***

You stand over the stove waiting for the milk in the saucepan to come to a simmer. You decided you wanted a cup of your homemade hot chocolate, since you can’t stand the powdered stuff sold in the store.

You have yet to make it for someone else, knowing how intense the chocolate flavor is. Not everyone can handle the bold flavors.

Once the milk mixture reaches a low boil, you add the dark chocolate chips and begin to stir, watching as the liquid turns a rich dark brown.

After all the ingredients are fully incorporated, you ladle it into the purple mug you sculpted in pottery class.

You take a sip, sighing as the flavor hits your soul.

***

You pull your Christmas tree out of the outdoor storage closet of your apartment, excited that it’s time to decorate it once again.

While you do love having a real tree, remembering cutting them down with your parents, you can’t deny the perks of having a fake one, such as no bald spots and its reusability.

You can’t help but smile as you bring the green, clear tote full of ornaments into the living room. Each ornament represents a year, memories.

You grab the hooks and start hanging them, each ornament reminding you of the years your stepdad made you do just that, chuckling to yourself. He definitely has an obsession with ornament balls.

When you finish, you can’t help but be proud of your tree. It’s pretty, there are no bald spots, and you don’t have to worry about watering it. Plus, the lights are beautiful.

***

Walking back inside your apartment, you hold packages that just came in the mail. You know they are gifts from your parents, and you are itching to open them.

You hold back the urge, though. You can wait until Christmas Day. But you decide to wrap them, as they were delivered in Amazon boxes, and you love unwrapping presents.

Too bad your wrapping skills could use some improvement. But you wrap the boxes anyway and place them under the tree, excited for when you can unwrap them.

***

You’re back in the kitchen, this time making your Polar Express cookies, which were inspired by one of your favorite Christmas movies as a kid.

You remember your mom making them for your elementary class, taking brownie mix, folding peppermint Hershey’s kisses into the batter, and creating delicious cookies from that.

You scoop the batter onto the half-sheet pans, topping each cookie with chopped up mint Hershey’s kisses before sticking them in the oven.

It doesn’t take long for the aroma of chocolate and mint circulate throughout your apartment.

You remember handing out the cookies to your classmates before the movie started, each pleased with the flavor. Bringing sweet treats every holiday was the one thing they liked you for.

Hearing the oven singing, you pull the cookies out, smiling at how tasty and pretty they look.

As soon as they cool, you take a bite and start dancing in your kitchen. Yes! You got it right!

***

You sit on the couch, your fuzzy purple blanket wrapped around you as you decide which Christmas movie you want to kick off the season with.

You have the lights low with some unscented candles lit, helping to create the cozy winter vibes you love so much, along with a plate of the cookies you just made and the hot chocolate on your coffee table.

You continue scrolling through your movie library until a specific title pops up on the screen. You can’t help but smile as you press Play and start the movie.

***

You sit in bed, your Kindle Paperwhite in your hand as you pick out a new book to read. You have a fireplace video playing on your TV and hot green tea sitting on your nightstand.

What a vibe.

And this is the first day of many days.