Sunday Night With John: My Late Night Winter Break Moment

A cold nose nudged me awake around 2:30 a.m. The bed was so warm and I knew the outside was so very cold. The long drive to Minnesota’s north shore meant my four-legged best friend Marv did not get his usual four-mile walk to burn up his endless energy. I wanted to roll over and ignore my little buddy but he was such a trooper on our six-hour drive to our winter wonderland cabin that I had to drag myself out of bed and begin putting on my winter armor. Marv sat by the door, tail wagging as fast as could be. He loves the cold weather as it agrees with his furry, no-shed coat. 

After the 10-minute exercise of putting on enough clothes, socks, coats, hats, and gloves, Marv and I were out the door for a late night/early morning quick walk. The snow was deep, the air crisp, and the absence of light pollution astounding. We gingerly walked down the ice-covered driveway that our car had failed to traverse earlier in the day, forcing us to park at the end of the cabin drive and haul our luggage an extra 100 feet. We took a right and started a slow-paced walk down the street. Marv had to stop and smell all the new northern Minnesota smells. The snow’s ability to dampen sound blocked out the usual winter-woods noise and I finally began to wake up. We walked about a half mile down the road and Marv’s tail kept wagging. I finally stopped and looked up into a clear night sky. I paused for just  a second and took in a deep breath as the calm peacefulness of the scene spread through my body. I could feel the stress falling off me. I was no longer focused on the past or fretting about the future. I was fully engaged with my surroundings. 

Being a public speaker and weekly blogger means a number of life's moment are no longer private. I’m no longer the sole owner of a number of big moments in my life. With every story I share, a little bit of the ownership spreads to the crowd or reader. It’s a process I enjoy immensely. I believe in the healing power of laughing over a story, of breaking bread and exchanging life's moments. But with the advent of social media and how connected we are all, we forget private moments can have just as big an impact on our well-being. We are quick to share that picture on instagram or facebook, to relive that family moment, to tweet our innermost thought. I worry that we are losing too much of our own identity in our connected world. 

While I will never stop sharing and will not stop expressing my emotions, I knew, standing with my dog by my side, that I would keep this moment for myself. I would not share the thoughts about my wife, my family and friends that crossed my mind. I would not post a picture of the night sky that I took, because I wanted that night sky to remain mine alone. And, I would not talk about the swarm of emotions that washed over me, because they were so personal. 

Marv had finally had enough of his midnight walk and nudged my hand for us to head back to the cabin. When we reached the door, I took one last look at my peaceful, no light pollution, silent oasis. I opened the door to the warm cabin and Marv jumped right back on the bed at the feet of my wife. I took the necessary five minutes to shed my winter suit of armor. I’m back for 2017 and ready to share stories, exchange emotions, and take this message into new places.  But, as I laid in bed that night at the cabin, I was thankful that my four-legged best friend given me such a private moment.