To everything – turn, turn, turn
There is a season – turn, turn, turn
And a time for every purpose under heaven
Somehow, we got to have a bright and sunny day while much of the U.S. was being socked with huge snowstorms, basically paralyzing a third of the country. I am thinking of all of you as you dig out! As you can see, we’ve had our fair share of snow this winter, too. This is our back patio (and we’ve actually had some of our snow melt in recent weeks!). But we’re back to subzero temperatures now, which means all that snow will be sticking around for the foreseeable future.
These are the days – smack in the middle of a very white winter – when I sometimes catch myself wondering if the snow will ever end, and whether there will ever be enough sunshine and warmth to melt it all. I fantasize about the ease of getting the kids out the door without looking like the Michelin Man. I’m giddy if I actually get the minivan up the slippery driveway. I find myself eating cupcakes just to stay warm (which – fyi – does not actually work, but I keep convincing myself it does).
Come to think of it, surviving each long and snowy winter is pretty good practice for getting through life’s other tough spots. I once worked as a telemarketer selling water softeners (yeah, that was me – sorry). It was a super sucky job, but it paid the bills. The boss was creepy and stern, the place smelled like smoke and mold, and regularly getting cursed at or hung up on by the people I called was not exactly motivating. Each shift dragged on forever. During break time, I’d practically run for the door and just walk around the block to get some fresh air and clear my head. I was determined to stay upbeat. When I finally did fly the coop for another (way better) job, my boss told me I’d been one of his best employees and that he always knew he wouldn’t be able to keep me there.
Though I’d been counting every minute of every hour in that job, I always trusted there were better days ahead. I didn’t know how or why or when I’d get out of there, but I knew deep down that it was just a speed bump on the road of life. To everything there is a season, for everything there is a reason.
And someday, I’ll wear sandals again.
