Writing Dailey

In the ongoing story of my life, I’m pretty sure February is my least favorite month.

September used to hold that title because I hated returning to school, but now, as a full-grown adult, the second month of the year has taken the lead in my dislike. 

There’s nothing inherently wrong with February – Valentine’s Day was lovely, and there have been some gorgeous sunny days – but it’s usually this time of year that my seasonal depression lays its symptoms on thick. And to be frank, seasonal depression is still relatively new to me. It reared its slumped shoulders about two years ago and remains a returning visitor.

During this fun time, I struggle to pull myself out of my nightly hibernation come morning, motivation is in short supply, completing vital work tasks is harder than it should be, and my mood plummets with each new dusting or thick blanket of wintry accumulation. Snow after Christmas and the New Year may bring post-holiday cheer to the masses, but to my fair-weather desiring eyes, it just means more work that I don’t have the energy for, including shoveling steps, scraping off my car, praying the plowman shows up, and strapping Yaktrax on to my Dr. Martens so I don’t take a spill, thus injuring my coccyx or snapping off a tooth.

So, what’s the best approach for surviving the doldrums of winter? For me, it’s a combination of things, including comfort food like chicken tenders and Kraft shapes mac & cheese, planning my annual southern getaway for some consistent vitamin D, and my comfort stories, whether read or viewed on screen. Using the phrase “comfort stories” makes me feel like I’m a middle-aged woman discussing her favorite soap operas or reality television, but in actuality, I’m talking about the stories that never fail to elicit a boost of serotonin from within my hermit brain. (P.S. Soap operas and reality television can indeed stimulate a serotonin boost – they just don’t do it for me. #nojudgment)

The Chronicles of Narnia:
The Lion, the Witch,
and the Wardrobe

The revisiting of my comfort stories began mid-January with C.S. Lewis’ The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe. I sat in front of the crackling morning fire with a cup of coffee at my parents’ house and reverently opened the first installment from the vintage seven-book box set of paperbacks. Different eBay listings claim this particular box set is both from the 1970s and 1980s. I don’t know which decade is accurate (let’s just agree the books are old), but I do know that the unique aroma of the book’s yellowed pages and old ink would be included in my version of Amortentia (the Harry Potter love potion).

Creator: Jaap Buitendijk | Credit: Jaap Buitendijk
Copyright: © 2009 Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. – Harry Potter Publishing Rights © J.K.R.

Reading this children’s book in the heart of winter always lifts my spirits. Probably because doing so harkens back to my dad reading the story to my brothers and me, and reading about the return of spring that magically coincides with Aslan’s return to Narnia gives me hope that, yes, winter will eventually meet its end in Northern Michigan, too.

“Wrong will be right, when Aslan comes in sight,

At the sound of his roar, sorrows will be no more,

When he bares his teeth, winter meets its death,

And when he shakes his mane, we shall have spring again.”

Mr. Beaver, the O.G. Believer

Naturally, upon completing this comforting re-read for the umpteenth time in my thirty-three years, I had to then experience the film version – just another mode of absorbing additional hits of serotonin. However, I am a purist, and I did not watch Disney’s 2005 version of the tale, but rather the BBC’s episodic mini-series from 1988. For me, I don’t think anything – even Greta Gerwig’s slated remaking of the Chronicles via Netflix – will top this journey of low-budget special effects, huge beaver costumes, and over-dramatization. As you may recall, I work for Petoskey’s C.S. Lewis Festival on a consultant basis, and keeping abreast of Lewis’ materials in pop culture is part and parcel with keeping the author’s works alive and relevant, but I don’t know what to expect from any remakes or retellings nowadays. Having been emotionally burned several times, my skepticism regarding book-to-film adaptations is at an all-time high.

Dealing with Dragons

Another of my comfort stories, which will no doubt be rearing its spine in the coming weeks as March rolls in, is Patricia C. Wrede’s Dealing with Dragons, Book One of The Enchanted Forest Chronicles. Yes, I’ve mentioned this book and its series before, but since I’m a creature of habit and returning to my favorite stories in times of need is how I deal with life, it demands an encore mention. Wrede, an American author of fantasy literature, is best known for the aforementioned chronicles, which took the number 84 spot in NPR’s 100 Best-Ever Teen Novels list – pretty cool, right? Makes you want to maybe pick up a copy and give it a read, huh? Especially with an NPR blessing and not just that of a rambling writer.

Recommendations to read aside (because it’s quite apparent that the books I blather about with typed-out zeal come with my highest recommendation), this book gives me a boost when the gray days have me feeling low and like the proverbial black sheep who made a huge mistake in choosing to be a freelancer. I get a boost because its main character, Cimorene, is a confident, courageous, and “improper” princess who ditches an arranged marriage to spend her days in the service of a dragon – talk about marching to the beat of your own lute down the road less traveled. Cimorene scoffs at what’s “expected” of her and does what suits her rather than cow-towing to others – total #bossbabe goals.

The inspiring aspect may be a me thing, but on a grander scale, this book and its three follow-ups are witty and utterly entertaining. Plus, there’s no mention of snow or winter, so that helps, too. And the hand-painted sign mentioned in the story that reads “NONE OF THIS NONSENSE, PLEASE,” just plain tracks in general and applies to all sectors of my life, excessively long winters and bouts of seasonal sadness included.

Having loved and re-read this book for over twenty years, I would love to see an animated or live-action rendering of Wrede’s smart, sarcastic, and slightly satirical tale, but as mentioned above, such things make me wary, so I’ll settle for the movie I’ve concocted in my imagination. Besides, I don’t think anything will ever top the cover art by Trina Schart Hyman. Oh, and here’s another tidbit about this book – it started as a short story called “The Improper Princess” before morphing into the form it holds today. Since it yielded one of my comfort reads, I shouldn’t look so negatively upon the short story format…

While the fantasy genre may not be your preference, I bet you have some comfort stories that never fail to lift your mood or soothe your downtrodden heart. Stories that have the power to instill happiness, elicit laughter, ring the bells of nostalgia, and encourage you to hold out for another day because (fingers crossed) the sun will come out tomorrow, and eventually, we shall have spring again. And if you need further encouragement to turn away from your TBR pile and pick up a book you’ve already read countless times, here’s a helpful quote from Wrede herself: “I don’t think I ever read anything only once.”

Photo courtesy of The Starving Chef Blog

So, what’s my next depression-thwarting comfort story experience to be this winter? A screening of The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring with my boyfriend, complete with a Pinterest-inspired Shire-cuterie board. This is definitely a ‘pics, or it didn’t happen’ situation, so I will update the IG account when this glorious event occurs because it might just bring you a much-needed second-hand happy vibes boost. Cheers to those who love the winter season and much love to those struggling amidst the cold and gray – I hope you find solace in your own comfort stories!

Coming up next:

March – Freelance Life Update
(Spoiler: The first quarter of 2024 was bonkers.)