Only recently was it revealed to me that Winter is not solely a time for closure. Without folding the last page of one chapter over, we'll always be stuck. Stuck between what has already passed and what we anticipate may come from it. Because of the often-pessimist nature of cognitive ruts, this means we can end up trapped in a place full of fear and regrets.

Winter does symbolize closure. The leaves are nearly gone as I write this and the birds are much rarer to hear. Closure is not something to fear, nor is it intrinsically bound to regret. When we feel regret, when we feel fear, it's not cause for us to pause and remain hesitant. Embrace the moment and live: Feel what it's like to have a past and seize the opportunity to learn from mistakes. Regrets of the past are done but we can forge a stronger present in the hopes that we will call that old friend. That we'll tell the cashier we see every day how nice they are. That we can write that next chapter. That we will do today whatever we are capable of doing today, instead of leaving these finite chances to an abstract "someday."

Rare moments such as these are well-captured in the artwork section. Blue Banded Bee shows us one of nature's finest in such detail as can hardly be replicated. Ghost Bee in Morning Glory reveals another winged marvel. Dragonfly Stare Down executed such a photo that we can make out the individual veins on the wings. Chipmunk Lunch enunciates more detail upon the little critter than many might ever see without the photographer's aid.

First Date emanates such a variety of emotions in fiction. The Walk will catch you by surprise. Twenty is so full of intrigue. The synchronicity within Spare Change is quite a treat.

Familiar Territory is perhaps one of the sweetest pieces of poetry you might encounter this Winter, if not longer. Tectonics is a concise reminder of the nature of concerns, contrasting against this temporal life. Few pieces so well capture the nature of unrequited love as The Love Bomb.

The Law in Alabama from nonfiction elicits both solemn and indignant admiration. Pink is a pleasant distinction from this, its insight and shared deliberations being both enlightening and warming. The feeling of desolation commonly associated with Winter is well-captured in A Marriage Iranian Style, if one replaces literal snow and frost with those symbolic of ill-returned adoration.

Prelude to a Walk through the Snow exudes both the regret of loss and the pain of rejection in the form of a play. Very poignant for anyone whose life has been impacted by adoption -- even slightly.

Find your inspiration, reader, from both the smiles and the tears. Share that today, not "someday." Let this Winter fuel your drive to experience what it's like to plan and do instead of fear and regret.

Leif Sutter
Non-Fiction Team Member