february mondays...

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again,

February mondays are the worst kind of mondays…

Everything outside is wet or frozen...

or both...

Or somewhere in between.

The car has started to smell like the inside of a boot…

And the boots have started to smell like something beyond words…

The weight of winter,

And of everything

Feels heavier on February mondays

I wake up 45 minutes before the alarm goes off

And lay there trying to decide where to start…

Shovel the slush in the driveway?

Clean the kitchen?

(chores that got ignored over a very wonderful but very full weekend)

Try to help the kids get started on the right morning path?

Or getting an early morning jump on the 54 new emails in the in-box?

Take stock in the home and the body;

The ails and issues in the body… the extra pounds, the random mysterious areas of soreness, and all the known quantities…

The ails and issues in the house...
The molding water damage,

The ice dams,

The cat box…

Resist the temptation to hide from the world and the cold and stay under the covers…

Resist the temptation to pick up the phone and escape
into a dreary a fix of the entertainment news...

And yet…

There are so many blessings...

The dishes and the driveway got left until today
because our family spent wonderful time together
supporting and delighting in each others accomplishments,
overcoming challenges and celebrating in and with our community.
And we have each other...
for good and bad.

Deer and bunny prints in the snow on the way to school

Inspire gleeful curiosity and imagination

And remind us of our larger community
And the quiet contribution of nature to our lives.

Time in the kindergarten classroom

Talking about our American presidents

Inspires thoughtful contemplation

And reminds us to how far we’ve come

And to be grateful for those who’ve set us on this path.

There is the weight of winter

and everything else...

And that's okay...

We find the light.

We find the light.

We can find the light.