Short Stories From 10 Years Ago – February 26, 2004
February Thaw
Short Stories From 10 Years Ago – February 26, 2004 – It’s here! I feel as if I should be singing from the rooftops, and this is problematic on two fronts, I can’t sing and I’m uncomfortable with heights.
Not the gut wrenching, heart stopping kind of fear, more the heart palpitation, sweaty palm kind. Roof tops aside, the sweet breath of spring is here, if only temporarily. Winter has loosened her iron clad grip on the land and the snow is melting. The sun is shining a big silly grin and the birds are singing.
The ‘February Thaw’ is upon us. People are walking around in blazers and street shoes – we’re rushing the season, impatient to be outside without hats, scarves, boots, mittens and gloves. Dogs are dancing at the end of their leashes and small kids are anxious to play in the puddles that dot the back lanes and streets of the city.
We can breathe again. Heads bent to the wind only last week are freed from hats and scarves, and chins are held high. It’s only a matter of time before we start to plan our springtime, garden clean ups and think about opening cottages and orchestrating back yard and patio parties. At some level, we all know it isn’t over yet – but just for today – we rejoice!
The Fat Lady can sing her heart out or not – winter will be back. March can be a brutal month and April has been known to pummel the landscape with mountains of snow, cold days and bitter winds. But this blip on the weather radar is all we need to get us through the rest of the season. Spring returns officially at the end of March, the days are getting longer and our hearts are lighter.
The February Thaw is a gift, designed by the weather gods to let us know that the short, frigid days of December, January and February are losing their strength. It’s a message to inform us that we will survive. The dark, cloudy days of the winter slumber are nearing an end. Life will return to the land, and as it does our hearts lighten and we become happier and more optimistic.
A sunny day restores hope and makes us smile. Birds will soon return and animals will start their ritualistic mating dances. The seasons are shifting, spring is on her way and we are re-born. The snow, that will still come, won’t have the same effect on us. The cold days ahead are numbered, not daunting, and all because of the February Thaw. It makes me smile just thinking about it. What a blessing!
