A Girl could Get Used to This

I've really enjoyed working in the garden these past days. The weather is so pleasant, with the exception of the whipping wind. But at least it's a warm wind. Past years when it has been cold and windy I would think twice before going outside to work. Being up on a hill with no protection~it can be brutal.

But, eventually you have to get out there and do what needs to get done. You're from Wisconsin after all: you're tough! Made it through the harsh cold, wicked winter--you can handle a bit of wind!

I had always worn that like a badge of pride: you toughed-out the winter, you've earned your spring.

And I have always enjoyed the changing seasons--each of them bringing something different to see, feel and hear--altering the landscape.

But after these two weeks of beautiful, sun-shiny days I am beginning to wonder if maybe, deep-down, I am a fair-weather kind of gal. Maybe moving south to a more temperate climate isn't such a bad idea. I mean, I don't really like to be out in the cold wintry weather--I like to see it from inside my cozy house.

I think of shedding all of those winter layers and heavy boots. No more shoveling and ice-scraping. No more driving on scary, ice-covered roads.

Warm weather brings a more carefree attitude to everything~less preparation, more spontaneity. Need to go out to the chicken coop? Slap on some shoes and head outdoors--no heavy coat, boots, gloves and hat. Anything you do outdoors requires far fewer garments. Think of the money we'd save on wardrobe alone!

My daughter is all for moving south. She just mentioned that she thought she might move to Florida when she gets older. 

But.

I wonder.

Would I miss winter?

Would I appreciate the beauty of spring--if you can even call it spring if there was no winter to precede it?

Maybe one positive aspect of living through a bitter, cold winter is the sheer joy of seeing nature' s bounty come to life again. Would I take that for granted if I lived in a milder climate? Would I revel in it? Or would it be just another day in utopia?

It's impossible to answer these questions, since I am not going anywhere.

and I know this: I would miss curling up with a book by the fire; winter bonfires and hot cider; the sound of the snowflakes as they fall on a mid-winter night; the full moon turning the snow-covered night into a shadowy mystical land.

The spring that follows a full winter brings an awareness that is often missing during the other days of the year.

Gratitude and hope.

It is no wonder our ancestors celebrated the winter solstice and the coming of the light. It is an affirmation of life itself.

I suppose folks in the south have their own kind of winter and spring.

I hope they do.

Cuz this feeling, this sense of being alive, is not to be missed.