Sunday, March 10, 2013

Cursing the Wind

Winter is coming to an end. Technically. I say technically because those of us who live in Colorado should be well aware by now that March, April, and May are often the snowiest months of the year. I love snow. I grew up in places where snow meant sledding, skiing, ice skating, etc... Basically all of the fun things that accompany Winter. I feel fortunate that I was never made to suffer through the infamous ice storms of the east coast or the sunless winter "days" of the north. For the most part, Winter and I get along pretty well. Sometimes my hair is full of static or it's just too darn cold in the morning to get out of bed without a few false starts, but the coziness and the beauty that comes along with Winter usually wins me over. However...

When Winter teams up with his buddy, Wind, the charm of this season is completely lost on me. Windy weather puts me on edge. I find myself feeling frustrated and angry and anxious for the wind to die down and go away. Even the sound of wind is ominous and when a gust makes the chimney whistle or the window panes bend, I loathe it even more. After allowing the wind to keep me cooped up all day today I finally sucked it up enough to venture out to a coffee shop in town... But not before grumbling to myself a bit about the horrible, no-good, very bad wind on my way to the car (a mere 10 ft. from my front door).

As usual, the universe was about to take this opportunity to teach me a lesson.


At the end of our street there is a big open field where people are usually letting their dogs run, but today in the wind and the sunshine and the melting snow I spotted a dad and his young daughter joyously flying a kite.

One person's trash is indeed another person's treasure. If given the chance today I would have thrown out the wind. Or, I guess, recycled it if wind is recyclable. But admittedly, I had completely dismissed the notion that wind can be desirable. This father and his daughter needed the wind today and it sure looked as though its presence was making their Sunday afternoon downright blissful. Seeing them in that field by my house made me smile. I smiled at them, I smiled at the wind, and I chuckled to myself because it's so easy to be discontent.

I know it is a choice to be happy. I know it is a choice to be optimistic. I know it takes much more effort to frown than to smile and now I know I can no longer curse the wind in hopes that someone somewhere is using it to fly a kite.

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