Those two trees were planted years ago now as a gift for my mom on Mother's Day. Since my front yard used to be "her front yard", I've been able to watch them continue to grow, now for almost 8 years. I watch with excitement in the very early days of spring for the first sign of the lovely blossoms they send forth. When they are fully in bloom, it is as if they are covered in snow and that springtime show lasts for the better part of a couple of weeks. In the summer, they provide a great deal of shade and protection for the house as well as the perfect place for birds and squirrels to get into squabbles with one another. In the autumn, the tiny ornamental pears provide food for the squirrels to munch on and the side walk is continually littered by them. On occasion, they toss the remnants down on unsuspecting people below as a good friend and I found out a few weeks back as we stood talking with one another one Sunday morning on the side walk. And then, well then there's winter.
You know I'm pretty sure that there has never been a time when I have felt enamored with winter. Truth is, if I had a dollar for every time I said the phrase, "I hate winter!", then I would have a lot of dollars. Between blizzards and cold north winds, bouts with sleet and/or freezing rain, and the need to put on 7 layers of clothing in order to stay dry and warm, well winter has generally rated itself right up there with olives, raisins and milk on Peggy Miller's "Things I do not like!" list.
I do not know where my disdain for winter time actually was born. Perhaps it was back in the days of growing up on a farm when all of us were expected to do our share of chores, both inside and out. Let me tell you, I can't think of anything worse than carrying a pail of water to the chickens when the temperature outdoors hovers at the freezing mark. Try as I might, I would undoubtedly spill water somewhere on me and it always seemed a race against the elements to return inside before my clothes froze to my body. If we somehow misplaced the only pair of mittens or gloves we had, then we had to put socks on over our hands to protect them. I can still remember waiting for the bus to pick us up at the end of the driveway, my hands stuffed in my pockets so no one would see what I was wearing for gloves. But you know what? It only took a couple of humiliating times of not taking care of your "hand protection" before you did a whole lot better job of being responsible with things. And for that "life lesson" I thank my parents. They knew what they were doing.
As an adult, I've found that winter can turn out to be a depressing 3 months + span of time. As we return to the "old time" and the sun sets quicker every day, I notice the "winter blues" starting to show. I need sunlight, heck we ALL need sunlight and when there SEEMS to be less each day (and for good reason, there IS) it can bring on a lot of "let down feelings". I used to think I was just plain weird because all around me, my friends saying things like "Oh, I just love the snow! Don't you?" My answer, the cleaned up version, "No, not really!" Then I read about Seasonal Affective Disorder and it began to make sense to me. I wasn't so weird after all.
It goes by a lot of names, names like "the winter blues", "seasonal depression", or "wintertime depression". But whatever it is called, Seasonal Affective Disorder can affect people in various ways. Some of the more common symptoms of SAD include sleeping more, feeling lethargic during the day, over eating with a craving for more carbohydrates, feeling sad or moody and generally, just losing interest in doing much of anything. I see myself in this and recognize when those feelings start to crop up and rear their "ugly heads". After having visited with many friends who share my times of depression, I take solace in the fact that I am not alone as well as the fact that winter time doesn't really last forever~it only SEEMS like it does.
Really, the only way to get through it is just THAT~you have to get through it. I keep more lights burning at home rather than just sitting in the dark all the time. I have learned it's beneficial to take on new interests in the winter time months, ones that necessitate being done from the dining room table like scrap booking. When it really gets bad, I just drag out all of the seed catalogues and dream of what to plant when the springtime rolls around again, and friends it WILL come back. In the week's time that has passed since my walk last weekend, we have enjoyed some pretty decent weather and I have made every effort I could to be out in it. The time between now and the winter solstice will fly by quickly so I intend to soak up all the sunshine I can.
One time last January, I read a story that was called "Wintertime Fun" to a group of first graders. They were "oohing" and "ahhing" at every picture that showed a snowman being built or kids on their sleds flying headlong down a steep hill. I was trying my best to act excited about it but I have learned you can't fool 6-year olds more than once. One of them asked me if I liked winter and of course, because I try to tell the truth when dealing with kids, I said politely, "No. Not very much!" Never will forget what that little kid said back to me~"Well that's 'cause you are probably too old, Mrs. Miller. If you were little kids like us, you'd say it was fun!"
Given the current drought conditions, not only in my home state of Kansas, but much of the midwest and elsewhere, I think this is a good time for a change in my "anti-winter" attitude. Although cold, wet and sometimes blowing and drifting snow is a pain in the behind for me, the conversion charts don't lie. For every 10 inches of snow, 1 inch of water goes into the parched and dry soil. A good cover of snow actually insulates the ground below and protects the roots of trees and plants. Snow contains nitrogen, which helps to improve the composition of the soil. And Ok, Ok, I will say this~that fluffy white stuff, at least from the confines of your living room sofa with nowhere else to go for a day or two, does actually look beautiful as it lays upon the ground. Having admitted to all of the above, I guess it's time to declare a "truce" with winter. Although we will never be "B.F.F"s forever, I think I can manage to live with it.
Have a good evening friends and enjoy life to its fullest!
The beauty of a Bradford Pear tree in full bloom-early spring time. The Creator of all of this knew exactly what to do and surely as the "Good Book" and the song says, "to everything there is a season."
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