MAYBE IN JUNE . . .

Lately I've been giving some thought to leaving Minnesota, at least in my dreams.  You see, last night I dreamed that we were about to be bombarded with another 21 inches of snow.  I woke up in a

 
panic.  Even my favorite meteorologist had called this "a horrific winter."  How could we possibly get another two feet of snow, on top of the 70 inches we had already, I wondered. It seemed ridiculous, but yet so real.  I called my friend Angela, who was in disbelief.  We had often commiserated on the test of a Minnesota winter, but I assured her, that however real it seemed, IT WAS ONLY A DREAM--we would be spared this time around!

Ah yes, winter--the season of endurance, frustration, natural beauty beyond compare, and squealing delight, as one witnesses children

 
rollicking in snow, totally oblivious to the subzero temperatures.  After 65 years of living in snow and cold, I shake my head, but admire their love of what many children think is the most wonderful season of all.  My granddaughter takes great pride in being one of those kids.

In summing up my varied feelings about winter, I discovered others who expressed their thoughts much more eloquently, and often with good humor.  Mae West was one of those:  "I used to be Snow White, but I drifted." Carl Reiner said it another way, "A lot of people like snow.  I find it to be an unnecessary freezing of water."

And then there were those who wrote about snow and cold in a much more serious vein.  Samuel Taylor Coleridge was one of those:  "Advice is like snow--the softer it falls, the longer it dwells upon, and the deeper it sinks into the mind."  Langston Hughes put it another way--"Hold fast to dreams For when dreams go, Life is a barren field Frozen with snow."

Tonight as I walked gingerly across treacherous patches of ice, I thought of Yoko Ono's words about the seasons, and winter in particular: 

     "Spring passes and one remembers one's innocence.
     Summer passes and one remembers one's exuberance.
     Autumn passes and one remembers one's reverence.
     Winter passes and one remembers one's PERSEVERENCE."

Realizing that another six weeks of snow and cold may yet be part of our landscape, I'm challenged to remember the words of Stephen Cosgrove: 

     "So when you're cold from the inside out
     And don't know what to do
     Remember love and friendship
     And warmth will come to you."