Rebirth

Here is what a winter in the midwest teaches you, first and foremost: spending a couple of hours, even a few minutes, in the backyard or in the park, out of the confines of your small, well-insulated home; feeling the sun on your arms and legs, having the freedom to walk to the grocery store or the coffee shop or even just down the street; watching dogs and children smile and romp and roll around in the grass while your neighbors build a play house and plant new flowers in their front yard--these are by no means our unalienable, god-given rights. We are subject, always, to the whims of a natural force over which we have no control, and while Wisconsin may remind us of that fact (FAR) more often than California, we will always be reminded, nonetheless.

For me personally, this means two things. Firstly, I have never been so acutely aware of how important and invigorating it is to be outside, and now, any opportunity I have to do so has become almost an obligation, a responsibility. Secondly, I am beginning to understand why so many people put up with these horrendous, endless winters, why so many people spend their entire lives here, and never want to leave: it's because when the snow finally melts, and the sun appears, there is revealed, suddenly, alarmingly, the greenest trees, the brightest flowers, and the happiest human beings you will ever in your life see. It is such a hopeful, healthy, determined resurgence that I can't help but feel that we have been granted the opportunity to start over, to really truly make and meet our New Years resolutions, and to re-learn how to appreciate every single precious waking moment that we have.