Wisdom of Winter

Brr…it’s cold! It’s just about this time of year when I think back on the conversation with hubby that went something like this:

Me: “Hubby, this is the furthest north I will ever live.”

Hubby: “Well, this is the furthest south I will ever live.”

Me: “Oh. Well, then you’re responsible for shoveling the driveway.”

Hubby: “Ok.”

Why, oh why did I not insist on immediate relocation to Key West? Why did I find his enthusiasm for snow so endearing?

Of course, there’s a lesson to be learned from winter. (I just wish I could contemplate this lesson while wearing flip-flops 365 days a year.)

I came across the following today in my quest to be inspired by the -30 windchill and 13 inches of snow outside my door:

When certain links become rusty, they are broken by unseen forces, to be replaced by newer and better ones. There are certain colossal events which transpire in the world of humanity which are required by the nature of the times. For example, the requirements of winter are cold, snow, hail and rain – but the birds and animals who live for six months, enjoying a short span of life, not realizing the wisdom of winter, chide and make lament and are discontent, saying “Why this awful frost? Why this hail and storm? Why not the balmy weather? Why not the eternal springtime? Why this injustice on the part of the creator? Why this suffering? What have we done to be meted out with this catastrophe?”

However, those souls who have lived many years and have acquired much experience and have weathered many severe winters realize that in order to enjoy the coming spring they must pass through the cold of winter.

Why not the balmy weather indeed! But alright, fine. As always, I find myself humbled by God’s wisdom. Wait out the cold, wait out the snow and find reward in the green grass and daffodils just around the corner. I just need to find perspective – to be a soul who has survived many winters, not a bird who has lived for just six months.

Of course, this winter is a little something different since I can see it through the eyes of my daughter.

Why Did You Put Me in this Snow Bank, Mom?

It appears Rowenna may be taking after her father. She didn’t appear to mind being out in the cold and the snow at all. She even wiggled a little and left her first snow angel.

Rowenna's First Snow Angel

And let me hold her up for a little supported “walk” in the snow.

Some Supported Steps in the Snow

And smiled as we propped her up on a snow bank. She’s a trooper, this one.

Sittin' Pretty in the Snow

Already she seems to find the wisdom in winter. She has weathered these snow storms, the hats and coats and extra layers, all with a smile. It’s just another part of her life.

I’ll get there eventually. Until then I will be dreaming of flip-flops and fresh pineapples and miles of white sandy beach.