Serenity and the Seasons

“Mommy, I just want it to be spring NOW,” my three-year-old tells me, staring wistfully outside at the snow-covered earth.

“It already is spring,” I tell her, “But we live in Wisconsin, and that means that sometimes spring arrives and it still feels like winter.”

“Ugh!” she replies, stamping her feet a little. “But I just wanna go to the park and ride bikes!”

She’s not alone. Social media is full of complaints against the weather from The Midwestern States at large lately. When will spring arrive? Nothing but 30-degree weather on the horizon!? We can’t believe the indignity of it all!

I think it’s kind of funny, really, how entitled so many of us feel when it comes to the weather. No matter how many beautiful days we are given, at the first hint of unpleasant weather, we shake our fists at the sky and shout, “I COULD DO A BETTER JOB THAN THIS!”

We aren't even satisfied when we do receive unexpectedly marvelous weather. Instead, we circle it a bit suspiciously while asking, "what's the catch?" I remember last year when Wisconsin achieved 70+ degree weather in mid-March. We rejoiced at the amazing warmth in one breath, then in the next complained about the lack of ground water farmers would receive for their crops due to the lack of snow. Can you imagine how catastrophic it would be for the farming industry if we had perfectly warm weather in the midwest every single day year-round? The earth needs the cycle of hot and cold, wet and dry, in order to grow food. Given our extremely hot and dry year last year, it’s probably a good thing that we’re getting a bit more snow and cold this year.

While I may be dreaming of fresh flowers and warm breezes, this morning I'm remembering the serenity prayer:

“God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change; courage to change the things I can; and wisdom to know the difference.”

I think the weather (global climate change causation theories aside) falls squarely in that “things I cannot change” category, don’t you?

God, grant me the serenity to accept these last few cozy days of "winter" without complaint, that spring may feel that much sweeter when it truly arrives. :)

Has spring truly "sprung" yet where you live? Do you await seasonal changes with serenity or impatience?