When Winter Comes
The standard answer my Grandma would give whenever one of us kids would complain about the cold was one simple question. "What are you gonna do when winter comes?" To this day, it replays in my mind every time I notice a chill or hear someone comment on the frosty weather. "What are you gonna do when winter comes?"
It sounds curt, unsympathetic, or maybe a little cold, but the response was always delivered with kindness. I assure you, she did care about our comfort. She was concerned about red cheeks and noses when we came in from hours of snowball wars, from tunneling through drifts or climbing the snow covered wood pile in order to reach the low-hanging icicles. She fed us hot cocoa and gave us warm socks for Christmas like any other grandmother. The question was more a matter of philosophy - in far fewer words than I might use, but that was part of her Grandma magic, I guess. She was succinct, often with a touch of humour, and she let the philosophy blossom in your mind if you were inclined to let it.
"What are you gonna do when winter comes?" It's partly a challenge. What ARE you gonna do? If you're cold, figure out what you can do to fix it. You can't change the weather, but there are plenty of things that will warm you up quicker than complaining. On this level, her response encourages self-reliance and practicality.
On another level, the question is a reminder that things can always get worse. Even in those early years I had seen some harsh Midwestern winters with snowdrifts you could get lost in and weeks of achingly frigid temperatures. By comparison, a few goosebumps don't seem like much.
At the very base of it, the comment comes down to one simple truth. Winter Comes. There will be cold, and lots of it. You can't seal yourself off from every bit of that, so you had better figure out how to live with it. Quit complaining, put on a sweater, and wait for Spring.
The reason her words have been hanging in my mind lately is that our area is experiencing the first real cold snap of this winter. Up until this point, we've been uncharacteristically warm and light on snow, with most days hovering around the freezing point or above. The temptation is to say, "Damn, it's cold," when you step out into the icy wind. However, the temperature is not unusual for early January except that it is expected to last for only a couple of days. Yes, it's cold, but that's winter. We wouldn't even notice it if it hadn't come in the middle of the warmth. It would be premature to complain now. Winter is still on its way.
At this same time, my family has lost another elder. My aunt, whose diagnosis came just before Christmas, passed away today from lung cancer. Her death, just a few months after her sister's and following some other troubling health news in the family, has been a bitter wind in an already difficult winter. Faced with a string of misfortunes like this, what can you do? It's cold, yes. But you have to recognize that you wouldn't feel the cold if there hadn't been warmth to begin with.
Winter Comes. Feel the cold. Take some measures to warm yourself and others who feel the cold, too. And know that Spring Comes, too.
It sounds curt, unsympathetic, or maybe a little cold, but the response was always delivered with kindness. I assure you, she did care about our comfort. She was concerned about red cheeks and noses when we came in from hours of snowball wars, from tunneling through drifts or climbing the snow covered wood pile in order to reach the low-hanging icicles. She fed us hot cocoa and gave us warm socks for Christmas like any other grandmother. The question was more a matter of philosophy - in far fewer words than I might use, but that was part of her Grandma magic, I guess. She was succinct, often with a touch of humour, and she let the philosophy blossom in your mind if you were inclined to let it.
"What are you gonna do when winter comes?" It's partly a challenge. What ARE you gonna do? If you're cold, figure out what you can do to fix it. You can't change the weather, but there are plenty of things that will warm you up quicker than complaining. On this level, her response encourages self-reliance and practicality.
On another level, the question is a reminder that things can always get worse. Even in those early years I had seen some harsh Midwestern winters with snowdrifts you could get lost in and weeks of achingly frigid temperatures. By comparison, a few goosebumps don't seem like much.
At the very base of it, the comment comes down to one simple truth. Winter Comes. There will be cold, and lots of it. You can't seal yourself off from every bit of that, so you had better figure out how to live with it. Quit complaining, put on a sweater, and wait for Spring.
The reason her words have been hanging in my mind lately is that our area is experiencing the first real cold snap of this winter. Up until this point, we've been uncharacteristically warm and light on snow, with most days hovering around the freezing point or above. The temptation is to say, "Damn, it's cold," when you step out into the icy wind. However, the temperature is not unusual for early January except that it is expected to last for only a couple of days. Yes, it's cold, but that's winter. We wouldn't even notice it if it hadn't come in the middle of the warmth. It would be premature to complain now. Winter is still on its way.
At this same time, my family has lost another elder. My aunt, whose diagnosis came just before Christmas, passed away today from lung cancer. Her death, just a few months after her sister's and following some other troubling health news in the family, has been a bitter wind in an already difficult winter. Faced with a string of misfortunes like this, what can you do? It's cold, yes. But you have to recognize that you wouldn't feel the cold if there hadn't been warmth to begin with.
Winter Comes. Feel the cold. Take some measures to warm yourself and others who feel the cold, too. And know that Spring Comes, too.
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