I hope this finds you all safe and warm.
I also am hoping that the snow forecasted for today decides to take a u-turn.
I'm sitting here writing this, keeping a watchful eye outside.
As of 10:00 am, so far so good.
I guess it doesn't matter that almost every school in the state has cancelled for today.
I hate to age myself, but does anyone remember when you didn't cancel school AHEAD of the forecast?
As I was watching TV last night, watching the cancellations scrolling along the screen, it brought that vivid memory back to me.
Memories of countless mornings during the winter when I was growing up lying in bed listening to the wind howling around the farmhouse.
The radio would be on, and since both of my parents farmed and also taught school, we all had a vested interest in weather or not school was going to cancel for the day.
Of course, there were times when it was cancelled...whiteout conditions, strong winds, several inches of snow.
If you've been around for a while, (as I have), you may remember the blizzard of 1975 - now THAT was a weather event!
It lasted for a couple days, and I remember the drifts almost as high as our two-story house.
It was epic - if you weren't around then, Google it.
So, when bad weather hit, it made total sense to stay home, grab the sleds, and enjoy an unplanned vacation day.
What a gift that was, and we made the most of it.
As soon as the chores were done, we would head outside to sled, build snow forts, or just enjoy a day away from school.
Usually, the outdoor activities were followed up with hot cocoa, and treats that my mom baked fresh for us.
So, in my memories, "Snow Days" were quite the special occasion, and were few and far between.
Not once in my growing up years, was school ever cancelled before a snowflake hit the ground.
How in the world did we ever survive? 😊
I'm all for progress, but I can't help but think sometimes we can overthink things.
I also think sometimes the more "progress" we think we've made; the more complicated things have become.
The weather model says this, so school is cancelled, plans are changed, and who knows if it will actually happen or not?
In my memory, the weather is just as often wrong as it is right.
Would life be a little simpler, and perhaps even a little more manageable, if we did a better job of living in the moment?
Maybe we need to quit trying to plan for every potential weather event that may or may not come to be?
Maybe not just weather events, maybe we tend to overthink more things than we should.
Think about how much time and energy we could save by doing that!
I call it the "Chicken Little" approach - thinking the sky is falling, when in fact, thinks are quite alright, and many times blown out of proportion.
Perhaps hyped up or sensationalized just a bit.
Going along with that logic, if the weather is forecasted to be inclement, but we're not experiencing that yet, given our technology and speed of communication, if bad weather happens, we handle it then, can't we?
We communicate with parents (lightning speed with emails/texts etc.) and we get the kids safely home on the bus, or safely home with the parents who will pick them up.
Surely if we can plan ahead 12 hours for a weather event that hasn't happened, we can plan ahead for one that is staring to unfold in real time.
Surely, we can do that!
Right?
You may wonder what in the world this post has to do with home repair or home maintenance.
The answer would be probably nothing.
It just gives you some insight into myself, my character and what I hold near and dear in my heart.
Simpler times, precious memories, and keeping things as simple as we can in this over complicated world we find ourselves living in.
Whatever this weather decides to do today, I hope you are safe and warm.
I also hope you are living in the moment with it - grab a sled and head for the hills with your kids, build a snow fort, or just enjoy a good book wrapped up in your favorite blanket.
Don't forget the hot cocoa and enjoy it with the ones you love!
Comments