Every Little Thing by April Jeppson

 

I jumped on the interstate yesterday for the first time in weeks. I was talking to my friend on my headset and I just stopped listening. The sight of the trees all covered in white completely captured my attention.

I’m not sure what she was talking about, but I interrupted with “Oh my goodness, the trees are gorgeous today!”

She then changed her conversation to join me. With excitement she agreed that the trees right now look amazing.

She then followed up with “And that’s the only thing good about this stupid cold weather.”

She was joking, but on days like today, I 100% agree. It’s cold. I don’t know the last time I felt the sun on my face. Oh, do I miss the warmth of the sun on my skin … close your eyes and remember with me. Picture it. We’re out on the deck, kids are eating freezer pops in the backyard, I slide off my sandals to avoid a tan line … you can see it. I can actually feel it if I concentrate hard enough. That image is currently my happy place. It gets me through.

We are almost out of January. We’ve got this. We can do hard things, and as a Minnesotan, January is often one of the hardest things I have to get through.

I know that we have snowmobiling, skiing, building snowmen and snow forts. I know. I know. But I’ll be honest. This happens to me every year. Right around the 73rd day of January I just find it hard to see the joy in the cold. So I don’t. I stop trying. I settle in to the fact that this weather is not my favorite. It is what it is and since I’m not going to relocate, I just need to accept it.

But then, when I was driving on the interstate, I saw those trees. My heart literally skipped a beat. It was so breathtaking. I smiled. It captivated me. Just like a wave of sunshine pouring over my face, the beauty of the hoarfrost refreshed me. Even though the beauty of the snow is the only hope I can currently find, it is enough.

I know that eventually the snow will melt and I’ll be surrounded by mud. I know that soon my children will be fighting with each other in the backyard over who gets to use the blue water gun. As I do every year, I know that this, too, shall pass. This is simply a season. A literal season. And like all seasons in our life, it helps us grow and appreciate the other changes that are around the corner.

Albert Lean April Jeppson is a wife, mom, coach and encourager of dreams.