The Chill is About to Break

Everyone will tell you it’s been a cold hard winter, reminiscent of long-ago. This year, thanks to a climate change enhanced wobbly Arctic vortex, nights have frequently dipped to below -30 C with colder windchill. The balmy days were the ones that crept towards highs of -10 C. When we gather with friends and neighbours, we trade stories of our dogged efforts and clever strategies to keep water from freezing, not always successfully.  The upside?  Our snowshoe trails are hard-packed and my competitive self has relished the challenge of getting out there to enjoy them for physical health and sanity.

But here we are on February 9th, and the warmer sun, longer days, and 14-day long range forecast confirm what my instincts picked up on when I fed the donkeys and cats this morning. The chill is about to break even if the winter of snow and cold will hold for many more weeks.

There are cracks in the worldwide chill too.

The Monks who Walk for Peace are creating a formidable groove.  Each mindful step, like endlessly moving water under ice, carves inspired openings for others to enter a more peaceful world with them.

Winter Olympic ideals of excellence, friendship and respect showcase for a couple of weeks what it could look like for representatives of 90 countries not only to compete, but also learn from and support each other in the highs and lows of sport.

This Canadian blog post observes with admiration how Minnesotans resist totalitarianism by combining networks of networks into strong communal bonds of care, support and love of neighbour.  The warmth of their ice-melting solidarity will one day bring the spring for which they hope.

Winter came, and it will retreat again.

I wonder what stepping into the widening groove of peace means for all of us?  What networks of networks are we part of that together can form strong communal bonds of care, support and love of neighbour?

Here at Rise Above Guest House, Svinda and I (Marilyn) are part of several formal and informal networks.  Formally we belong to the Wild Church Network, the United Church of Canada, the Association of Nature and Forest Therapy and Spiritual Directors International.  More importantly, we belong to a local queer community, a small group of land-mates who call this place home, the natural Eco-system that supports our day-to-day life, a network of local neighbours and friends, and distant neighbours, friends and family who support our efforts to provide a place of retreat, support, healing, fun, creativity and growth. This network of networks has the potential to bring the warmth and strength of community solidarity to bear on the coldest chill should need arise.

written by Marilyn February 2026