Okay, so it’s winter. Nothing like being officially reminded with highs still cold enough to freeze your shadow to the sidewalk. Let’s hope this isn’t punishment for all the complaints about last year’s record snowfall. At least shoveling the stuff made you warm.
We can learn a lot from kids. I marvel at their ability to make friends so easily. It’s not uncommon for either of our boys to start playing with other kids for hours and not even know their names. For whatever reason this carefree and nondiscriminatory attitude towards relationships becomes more conditional as we age. Judgment of character is important to protect ourselves from being hurt but accepting others for who they are is something I want our kids to practice. I know there will be trials in their lives when they choose their peers, but we try to encourage them to be leaders and good examples to others. Will they fail? Certainly (we all do), but I hope that they can be the friend they’d want for themselves. Friends are a blessing I often take for granted and I am certainly grateful to have them in my life.
I think it’s safe to say that winter is upon us. This year was really extraordinary with regard to weather and it was really nice to have the time to prepare for the snow this year. Most of the time, winter comes like an unexpected guest and a lot of the fall work is buried until spring. Even if it had come in October, we North Dakotans would still endure it (though there were certainly a lot threatening to move last winter). Let’s face it, for living in this part of the country we’re all pretty resilient and that makes us who we are… crazy.
Well, it’s December and it still doesn’t quite feel like the season yet (that could change today). My Midwestern upbringing has always assimilated snow with Christmas. I do remember a few “brown Christmases” but traditionally we’ve been pushing snow as early as Halloween. Admittedly the weather this year has been unusual all around and I’m grateful for the extended fall we’ve had. I’m certainly not wishing for the record snowfalls we had last year but I am dreaming of a white Christmas. The lights are strung, the tree is up, the halls are decked… and the shovels are ready!