Yesterday, I was lying shirtless in a snowbank, convinced that “suffering for art” was a valid personality trait. My eyelashes were frozen, my skin was numb, and I was alone in the silence of the storm.
Today, the sun is out. The ice is turning into slush. And, perhaps most shockingly, I am wearing a coat.
We usually talk about Transformation in big, dramatic terms. Weight loss, career changes, moving across the country. But there is a quieter transformation that happens after a storm—the Thaw.
When the world freezes over (literally or metaphorically), we tend to isolate. We hunker down. We go into survival mode. We convince ourselves that we don’t need anyone, that we can brave the elements by sheer force of will.
But you can’t stay in the ice forever. Eventually, you have to come back to the warmth.
Today’s transformation isn’t physical. It’s social. It’s the shift from “Solitude” to “Community.”
Walking down the street with the boys, dodging puddles of melting snow, laughing at absolutely nothing—it feels like waking up. The storm makes you appreciate the silence, but the thaw makes you appreciate the noise.
It’s a reminder that we aren’t meant to be statues frozen in perfection. We are meant to be messy, warm, and surrounded by people who will make fun of us for rolling around in the snow for Instagram likes.
So, for this Transformation Tuesday: Go find your heat source.
Maybe it’s the sun. Maybe it’s a hot coffee. Or maybe it’s just a walk with the people who remind you that life is better when you’re not trying to freeze time.
Stay warm (and fully clothed),
-Zachary Starr
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