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An Answer to Sarah’s Question
Sunspot Sarah was not convinced with my answer
As we traveled along a southwestern Wisconsin highway amidst brown, lifeless fields on a chilly and bleak January day, my niece Sarah, a Floridian, looked at me through her designer sunglasses (despite the gray skies) and asked dubiously, “How can you stand to live up here?” I don’t recall my answer; I probably mumbled something profound such as, “I don’t know, it’s what I’m used to.”
Growing older, I ponder this question, for winters seem harsher and colder. My answer: I choose to remain in a land encompassing the four seasons. Each season possesses its unique allures. Winter expresses itself with austerity and sublimity. The sunsets are nothing less than majestic. I gaze with awe at the bare black tree branches silhouetted against a sky adorned in glowing oranges, pinks, and lavenders.
The grayness of the day put a damper on our spirits. Nevertheless, I have seen that same countryside cloaked in a glistening mantle of snow, displaying hues of blue under a full winter moon. I have watched the snow descending from the sky, sometimes playfully and other times dangerously plummeting, blanketing branches of pine trees and making the ground shimmer as if strewn with diamonds. These moments never fail to rejuvenate my spirit.
When February rolls around, most of us are longing for spring. Cabin fever abounds. We yearn to catch a glimpse of green. February teases us, giving us a brief respite from the biting, freezing winds and snowfalls that no longer excite us. That can change quickly, and we are back shoveling snow, grappling with ice on the roads, and wondering if spring will ever arrive. We must wait for March before we glimpse the purple and yellow-gold crocuses peeking from the snow. As the days march towards April, milder air prevails. Seeing tiny buds emerging like pimples on the branches of trees gives us confidence that spring has arrived. With the appearance of hearty tulips and genial daffodils, we know the days are numbered until the fragrance of lilacs permeates the air. The scents specific to spring and warmer temperatures seduce even the most hardened Midwesterner to ease up and smile for no particular reason other than it’s just great to be alive.
