The Ways Relationships Drift Through Long Seasons

/ Dustin Shultz Counseling/

Another lyric from the song says:
“I guess the winter makes you laugh a little slower, makes you talk a little lower about the things you couldn’t show her.”

In relationships, emotional winter rarely arrives overnight.
It’s gradual… a slow cooling, a soft pulling away, a long season of protecting ourselves because something feels fragile or uncertain.

By December, many couples finally notice:

  • We’re talking around things instead of about them.

  • We’re apologizing quickly but not repairing fully.

  • We’re afraid to be vulnerable because we don’t know how it will land.

  • We’re holding shame, hurt, or resentment we don’t know how to name.

The winter metaphor is powerful because it reflects a truth:
We often hide the parts of ourselves we fear will disappoint, overwhelm, or burden the person we love.

If you’re feeling some emotional winter in your relationship, consider:

  • Where have I gone quiet out of fear, not indifference?

  • What truth have I been carrying alone because it felt too tender?

  • What small gesture of warmth could help us thaw the distance?

Winter is part of every relationship.
So is the possibility of spring.

Repair doesn’t require perfection just honesty, softness, and willingness.