Because the Spring....

This winter, the cold seems to have an angry bite to it. Its winds snarl at us as we leave our cozy little house. We walk quickly and carefully over slippery terrain. The freezing rain stings our cheeks as we scrape snow and ice from our windshields. We drive with white-knuckled alertness. The cold sticks to us and seeps into our bones. Our coats don't seem thick enough. Our boots feel flimsy. When we get back home, the fierce wind pounds on our eaves and rattles our chimney. Whispers of the cold seep in through tiny cracks we didn't know were there.xxxxx

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

We snuggle under blankets and put on extra socks.

We sip cocoa and eat hot & hearty soup.

We wear layers. We do jumping jacks. We think warm thoughts.

We dread the next time we have to leave the comforting warmth of our home.

Winter is not new to us. We are native Midwesterners. This winter though, and the ferocious cold it brings... seems bigger, harsher, wilder, more dangerous.

Luckily we know that Winter (not even this one) can last forever and that Spring (oh lovely Spring) is really not that far away. And we suffer through the harsh chill of Winter BECAUSE the Spring is coming. I think if there wasn't that "light at the end of the tunnel", many of us would pack our bags, load our mini-vans, and head for warmer climates. But one of the many benefits to living in a locale that has four distinct seasons, is that we HAVE four distinct seasons. And those of us who survive a nasty Winter, are surely more appreciative of those first few blades of fresh grass, the tiny buds on trees & the smell of blooming flowers. We savor a breeze with no wind chill, and are easily excited when we can stop wearing sweaters.
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

But for now, we yearn for whatever warmth we can get in the mean-time... knowing it might be a while before Spring arrives.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"Oh wind, if winter comes, can spring be far behind?" ~Percy Bysshe Shelley