By Dr. Jennifer L. Yocum, Licensed Acupuncturist
My husband is losing his job of 14 years- one that he has truly loved- due to federal budget bill changes. For the last few months, we’ve had our share of ups and downs. His workplace finding a way to extend him past September into March. Applying for hundreds of jobs. Getting rejected from several jobs he interviewed with. Having to extend our search nationwide and think about leaving our beloved Maryland where we both grew up, have raised our kids, and where our parents and family live. Going on interviews in states far away. It’s a lot. At the time of this writing, we still don’t know how it will end.
It got me to thinking; the winter in Chinese Medicine is all about the unknown. The seed lies deep in the earth, not knowing of the warmth of the spring. It sits and waits, pure potential. A seed has no real choice in the matter- nature does not fight itself. It simply becomes or it dies. However, humans are a little more complex. We exert free will. We fight against situations that make us feel uncomfortable. We try to find ways to control the things we cannot- or do whatever we can to feel like we have some semblance of control anyway.
It is deeply uncomfortable to be in the unknown. The emotion of the water energy that the winter represents is fear. Another side to fear is courage. To have courage means to acknowledge the fear that exists, and to keep going. To pick yourself up when you’ve fallen. To find the strength to go on when things feel really rough. That’s no easy task.
As a country, we are in a time of great unknowing. There is turmoil, conflict, fighting, and division. Many families, like mine, are losing their jobs. Others are finding it hard to put food on the table. Expenses continue to rise. It can feel easy to give up. But from these challenging times often comes a type of rebirth, both for our nation and ourselves. Like the seed lying in the dirt under the snow, we too must wait, with the hope that our spring will also come, and we will burst forth into a new world.
But how do we patiently wait, especially when things seem really scary? The answer lies in another gift of the water element and winter- faith. There is a reason that so many winter holidays have the theme of the light within the darkness. When things seem their absolute darkest, when we can’t see a way out, there is still always the existence of light. The light is the gift to the world of hope, of faith that we will make it through the deepest part of winter, no matter how dark it appears. There cannot be darkness without light.
Faith can come from many places- religious beliefs, reminding yourself that you’ve made it through hard times before so you can do it again, support of friends and family, mental health therapy, realignment of energy, remembering your purpose, practicing gratitude, and more. If you feel disconnected from your faith, chances are that you’ve also not been tending yourself in some way, and that you’ve been more disconnected from the community that helps to remind you how important it is to hang in there. The spring always follows the winter, the sun always rises and night falls, and challenges too give way to breakthroughs and relief.
I don’t pretend to have all the answers. But what I do know is that if I didn’t have my friends, family, healthcare providers, and divine purpose, I’d be an even bigger mess than I am right now. Community and self-care is more important now than ever. We need to remember that it’s ok to say that we’re not ok. It’s ok to ask for help and admit we can’t do it all by ourselves. It’s ok for our faith to waiver a little when our world falls apart.
To be human is to confront that there’s a heck of a lot of time spent in the unknown, and we have no control over that. What we can control is our reaction to it. So if you find yourself in a panic or feeling uncomfortable about being in the unknown, pause. Take a few deep breaths. Ask yourself what support you need. Take a few more deep breaths. Remember that this challenging time will pass. Take even more deep breaths. Allow yourself to surrender all of your fears, just for a moment. You’ve gotten through these kinds of things before, and you will get through this too, I promise. Now, what is one small thing you can do to help you feel like you have some forward momentum or tending? Call a friend? Apply for one job? Schedule a therapy session? Practice some yoga? Find some way to soothe your nervous system and remind yourself that you are safe and things will be better soon.
In the end, none of us can rush the seasons of our lives, no matter how badly we want the snow to melt. But we can choose to wrap ourselves in community, tend our inner flame, and trust that the same force that wakes the seed will one day call us forward, too. As you face your own unknowns, may you remember that even now, beneath the frozen ground of fear, something in you is quietly preparing to bloom.
Note: This article was originally published in a local magazine for their February 2026 issue. For citation references, please contact Dr. Yocum at https://jenyocum.com/contact/
Recent Comments