Groundhog Day
The shortest, darkest days of the winter are behind us. Punxsutawney Phil will make an appearance this weekend and, legend has it, tell us if we have to endure six more weeks of winter, or not. Is it too soon to start longing for spring?
For me, it’s like Groundhog Day. The same thing, year after year; revel in the cool crispness of autumn. Enjoy the festivities of the holidays. Endure January as best I can. See glimmers of hope, real or imaginary, as February and March unfold. The icicles start their drip, drip, drip. Songbirds that I haven’t heard in months are starting to wake me and maybe, just maybe, a little purple crocus bursts through some ground that is just beginning to thaw.
I like to think of myself as an optimistic realist. Therefore, deep down, I know we have more cold temperatures to wait through, that a 5pm sunset certainly still doesn’t provide a lot of daylight and that yes, inevitably, there will still be more snow to shovel. But with each passing day, we inch a little closer to green grass, colorful flowers and the promise of another spring, no matter whether that groundhog sees his shadow or not!