Weather Vulnerability

Aside from this past Friday where temperatures reached 60 degrees, winter is spreading its long cold windy fingers out across the area. And, with it, I have contracted a lovely little cold. One of those colds that you fight all week and then one day of poor eating, poor sleep, or too much outdoor time sends your throat swelling, your nose dripping, and your head aching.

I’ve been fairly lucky this year. Last year I was sick practically all winter (which had some to do with the fact I was working with 4 and 5 year olds 8 hours a day). But, I think it also had something to do with the up and down temperatures we had all last winter. Warm-cold-warm-cold-snow-70 degrees and on and on. This winter has been fairly consistent… or the change was gradual. Enter last week when we had 20 degree highs mixed with 60 degree highs and then the very next day a wind-chill of –2. My body doesn’t agree with these abrupt changes.

My body and my mind are very affected by the weather. After all, despite being humans, we are just animals. Cloudy days on end leave me feeling moody, restless, unhappy and unsettled, while nice sunny rays can bring me out of a funk. The cold weather has sent me cooking up a storm and pining for spring by buying seeds and visiting gardening supply stores.

Spring is my favorite season, and it’s always this time a year when I feel like it’s just beyond reach… only to have to get through February and a portion of March before spring begins to emerge. Something about that wait makes February the longest feeling month of the whole year—despite being a few days short of its counterparts.

This post is a bit disjointed, but so am I and so are my thoughts. A lot of changes are happening in my life and some things I thought were a little further off are inching up on me a little quicker than planned. I’m not very adept at change despite my lifelong relationship with it. I will still be dedicated to posting here every day even if it’s just a picture, snippet, poem or thought, so please keep checking back.