Even though it’s my birth month, I’ve never been a big fan of January. When I was young, I envied those who had summer birthdays and could celebrate with a pool party, beach bash, or an outdoor BBQ. Because my birthday closely follows the holiday season, people are pretty much over it by then, and in no mood to celebrate. After the big run-up to Christmas (that now begins as early as October), January can feel like a bit of a letdown, a sad gray month with little to get excited about.
In the Northern Hemisphere, January is known for low temps and dreary weather, the winter doldrums. Even though it doesn’t snow where we live, January is often our coldest and wettest month. February can be cold and wet too, but at least it has the good sense to last only 28 days, as opposed to January’s 31.
Recently, an article in The New York Times by Steven Kurutz has me rethinking my dislike of January. Reading his homage to the month, I began to realize that it’s actually the lack of much going on that makes it wonderful. There are fewer crowds and even fewer social obligations. There is less traffic on the roads and not as many people in stores and restaurants.
Just last night, as we drove to meet friends for dinner, my husband remarked about how little traffic there was. When we got to the restaurant, we were seated right away in an outdoor courtyard near some space heaters. We were warm and cozy and enjoyed a nice leisurely dinner with our friends, not feeling the least bit rushed so the table could be turned for the next guests.
January has a slower rhythm that allows us to relax, reflect, and rejuvenate. The cold weather is often a great excuse to spend time indoors organizing, decluttering, making soup, or just cuddling up with a good book. It’s a month made for introverts.
I no longer wish I could have a beach party or BBQ on my birthday. As the days slowly lengthen – we gain about a half an hour of daylight over the course of the month – I know there will be plenty of opportunities for outdoor celebrations when the weather warms up. For now, I’m happy to enjoy the sense of calm that January brings, allowing me to breathe again.
This post is linked to the monthly What’s Been on Your Calendar? linkup hosted by Donna, Deb, Jo, and Sue.
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Retirementally Challenged 
I’ve always enjoyed January because I’ve always tried to get the best out of everything. Just because it’s dark and cold outside and nobody wants to party doesn’t mean life has to be boring or stop. We have to make things happen.
If there is a month I dislike the most, it’s July when it’s too hot and humid to go outside. At least in January, I can go outside, get away from the computer, enjoy whatever life is going on, and get plenty of fresh air. January has plenty of great qualities. The problem is lots of people do not look for them.
When July comes, I’ll be looking for its good qualities, too.
I don’t know why it took me so long to appreciate the calm and quiet of January. When I was much younger, I looked forward to the heat of summer (which meant going to the beach with my friends) but now I look forward to cooler weather. I’m sure you’ll find lots of good qualities to appreciate in July too. 🙂