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IN OUR VIEW: Slow down this season, if you can

Winter is a time for a little bit of peace and quiet
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Thomas Haney Secondary student Emi Hughes, 16 years old and in Grade 10, shared a variety of fall and winter pictures taken in and around Maple Ridge, from the forested area overlooking Rock Ridge, to images of Kanaka Creek Regional park and the Fraser River as seen from the Haney Wharf. (Special to The News)

When Christmas and New Year’s approaches, many of us get a bit of a break from the hectic whirl of the rest of the year.

Not all of us, of course. Doctors and nurses, emergency responders, bus drivers, caregiver, and thousands of other essential workers will be taking up their shifts no matter what holidays they would like to have with their families.

And even those who do have time off often have trouble taking it easy at this time of the year.

There’s shopping and baking and visiting to do, cards to send, presents to wrap, visits with Santa, school Christmas concerts, office get-togethers, and for many people, work is still often bearing down on us right up until Christmas itself.

It can be a bit much.

This is a season of short days and long nights, of cold temperatures.

It’s the ideal season for both frosty walks in the quiet woods, or for sitting inside with a good book and a mug of something warm – maybe cuddled up in front of the fireplace.

Whether you celebrate or not, this time of year is frenetic and stressful, and none of us are getting enough vitamin D, either.

So if you can, take that time out to experience a little quiet, a little peace, and to do nothing, for as long as you can sustain it.

Those quiet moments, whether outside or in, alone or nestled on the couch with loved ones, are a balm that will help get you through another long winter.

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