Farewell My Dearest Winter

 WILKOMMEN, BIENVENUE, WELCOME

Can you tell Cabaret is all over my fyp? I'm gonna watch it I swear, but before I do let me say a proper goodbye to winter and welcome Spring like the host welcomed the audience in Cabaret.

I could write a 100 page essay regarding my love for Spring and all that it brings. Spring, for me, is beyond a noun or season, it's a symbol of renewal and love, it comes with waves of flowers and beauty. By welcoming Spring, we welcome a new life, a new world, and a new person that is us, ourselves. If you're Persian or associate yourself with Iran and/or the Iranian Plateau (ایران زمین) then you already place a higher meaning on Spring. Nowruz (نوروز) is the celebration of the new year in Iran and other areas in the middle east. The "Now" which is read "No" means new, and the "Ruz" which is read "Rooz" means day. Therefore it quite literally means new day. On this day we celebrate the arrival of Spring and the new year along with all its blessings. I truly love Nowruz and all that it stands for, not just for myself but for my country. Anyway, let me stop promoting Iranian culture (not because it's bad but because it's a whole project in itself) and get to the sentimental farewell letter I planned to write in this post. 

Don't get me wrong, I love Winter despite the depressed and stagnant nature it holds. I know the Winter Arc trend has taken over this past year but to be completely honest, I'm not a fan. I think seasons must be celebrated for what they are and embraced authentically. Of course it is not convenient to do such a thing in world like ours. With the fast-paced nature of technology, the work ethic and standards of society and all that comes with it, it becomes nearly impossible not to attempt to live against our humanity and nature. We are compelled to conform to these standards and embrace the machine life we were assigned.

Side-note: I'm being a bit dramatic but whatever.

We live in the time of "the in-between", at least in my unprofessional opinion. We often face the problem of: are we capable of getting used to the world as it is and all the rapid changes that take place daily or are we the humans we always were who need to slow down and chill for life's sake? I don't know, and frankly I don't care. It doesn't really change anything if we answer that question because the answer would change the day after. And with these rapid changes, do we even know what question shall arise the following day? We are the in-betweens the ones with no certain fate, we are the experiment. Or perhaps all human were through history; experiments for the future generation, submissive subjects of a world that stays still. For the greater good, I guess. Or maybe just because; just cause we're... human and hopeful? I don't know. I think I may have gone a bit off topic but that was interesting.

The reason I'm against the winter arc trend, isn't the trend itself but the face of today's society that it portrays. Apparently there's no value in being unless you grind and hustle 24/7 all year round. There always will be those who have a go-go-go mindset no matter what, or what we call "successful people". I think they're pretty cool, I often wish I could count myself as one. I always am grinding in a way but my outlook on life has never been go-go-go. I don't do the task because it makes me a better person or because I'm in my winter arc phase. I do it because, well... why not? I'm  a huge perfectionist and over time I have learned to not replace my value with my doing and always define it with my being. I don't expect everyone to do the same and the motive of expressing this thought is merely because I wanted to provide reason for my disapproval of hustle culture and for writing this post.

Whew! Now that I've yapped for the most part, I'll finally write the letter.

Dear Winter (of 1403/2025),

You definitely stole the show this year; and I love you for that. You opened my eyes with your delicate, wrinkled fingers to a world of possibilities. A world where I don't need to decide between myself and the world. You taught me to hold one with my right hand and one with my left. I must say your hands were a bit rough and so you left a few scars on my cheeks before showing me a new dawn, a few lovely scars I shall always cherish. I think I got a hold of your pinky finger before letting go and I wish to tangle my fingers with yours one day. You have shown me the beauty in stillness and the value of a slow life. I apologize if I didn't cherish and adore you enough. I was so busy chasing the new dawn I wanted to see that I failed to notice the darkness and the light it holds within. I kept slapping your fragile hand away when you were only trying to caress me. Next time you arrive at my doorstep I shall embrace you as if you are my grandmother. You remind me of her quite a lot, fragile and beautiful in the most intense manner, loving and slow, a bit of a nagger too. She has the same rough hands as you and somehow they are the softest touch I've ever felt. She has a similar affection (مهر) to yours and now that I think about it, I've never appreciated it as I should. It's always been something I take for granted. I promise to you, I shall strive to love you both as I should. Forgive me for my ignorance. Your efforts to wake me up won't go unnoticed. I shall wait every day properly and gather up memories to welcome you again next winter. I dedicate a broken piece of myself to you, because you helped me notice and acknowledge it. You were right, broken things have a quality a new entity could never acquire. They have stories and meaning blessed by time itself. The only article humans could never recreate, or so I hope. With this letter I kiss your wonderful hands, and hope you have a good rest before you have to awaken and try to teach the masses what you stand for. I look at you with new-found purpose and desire, hoping to give back a small portion of the love you gave me and billions of others. Thank you, my darling winter.

خواب های خوب ببینی، ننه سرمای عزیزم، با تمام جانم تشکر میکنم

With love and yours truly,

your humble Viyana

the end :)

PS. THAT WAS THE BEST EXPERIENCE EVER!!!! LOVE YOU AND BYE-BYE <3