Winter is Me

I watched snowflakes fly on Sunday with an ironic smile. On the heels of a lovely warm week, during which snow melt was significant and spirits were high, a dose of winter weather put us back at square one. No more trips to town without long underwear and forget about smelling the aroma of grilled steaks and burgers on our evening walk. Perhaps I should be sad, but I'm not. It is February, after all. On the first warm day, I put out of my mind thoughts of the universe realigning so that we could have a Floridian climate and instead enjoyed the unexpected bounty. Now that it's gone, I've picked up my knitting, snuggled into a fleece hoodie and made myself spiced coffee and scones for breakfast.

I love winter precisely because of its terrible weather. Nature's display of omnipotence never fails to impress me. It's scary sometimes to think that ultimate power resides in people, and we decide exactly how life plays out. Considering my personal mistakes in judgement, not to mention those of others, an occasional snowy reminder that we are not in control soothes me. And as we shift to a digital lifestyle where things are man-made, manufactured, mass-produced, I like the idea that a snow storm can unplug us and create space for wonder and amazement.

I tried to remember these philosophical musings as I scraped two layers off of my car Monday - the top one snow, the bottom one frozen rain. As I worked, the ache of my wimpy arm muscles was drowned out by the clinking of tree branches all around me, their hardened hoarfrost chipping and falling with each contact. I had to smile, amused that every time I get to the point of really hating winter, something stops me.

In the midst of this return to winter weather, I'm reminded of my unemployment. I've come to accept it, though at first, it seemed ridiculous to watch the Today show almost every morning, steaming coffee or tea in hand. Now I see it's sort of like having temperatures above freezing in February: It's a short warm streak, not a change in seasons. I'd better enjoy it while it lasts because just like Minnesota's weather, things will soon right themselves, and I'll barely have time to look back and remember how nice it was to have a break in the clouds.