I Hate Winter But....

Today, I went for a walk outside to this lovely little wooded park nearby where the walking path surrounds a little frozen pond. This has been a very rare occurrence this winter. First of all, I really don't like winter much. Actually, I kind of hate it ! I especially hate the extreme cold. That and the fact that I have been stuck in a sucky, yucky dark place for a while now, meant that January walks were not the norm !!!

I was planing on heading to the gym to walk on the tread mill - I am trying to move this hibernating bear butt of mine before it becomes permanently glued to my desk chair ! But I have also been neglecting my sweet yellow lab Chica since before Christmas ! So when she saw me putting on my coat and got so excited thinking she was coming with me, I had to change my plans and bite the bullet !

Plus the sun was out, and the icicles on the side of the house seemed to be melting so I figured I would bundle up, push myself and make the dog so happy !

It was pretty damn cold on one side of the lake path ! I started off walking, grumbling to myself -the temp in the car did say it was only 21 degrees - it looked warmer when I was just looking out of my window !

But when I got to the other side of the pond, it was much more wooded, less windy and the sun was shining very bright. All of sudden, the walk actually became kind of pleasant. The wind kept blowing crystal glitter off the trees, leftovers from the snowfall two days ago. It sparkled in waves in the sunshine. It sprinkled me gently in the face and made me smile. I let my dog off leash for awhile even though I can’t always trust her to come back – especially when she hasn’t been let wild for a while. I went for it anyway. She, of course, took off for a run, chasing a squirrel , but she came right back to me, grinning (yes, Labs do that !) and running like mad, when I called for her. I gave her a big rub with my mittened hands and even said "Thanks, sweet Cheeks !", very grateful that she decided to be on her best behaviour. We continued the rest of the way on the path together, Chica running ahead a bit and then doubling back as I trudged along behind on the crispy snow.

Suddenly, in that very instant, with another sprinkle of that winter icy glitter, I felt absolutely and completely happy. I looked up at the tree tops, letting the sun kiss my rosy cheeks and then I actually had the thought “If all the shit in the world hits the fan tomorrow, it is okay, I will be able to handle it. Because, I have had this moment and, in this very moment, everything is absolutely perfect.”

I think things may just be looking up around here, my friends ! When was the last time you had a moment of complete joy and gratitude like I did ? If it has been awhile, I wish it for you A.S.A.P. ! We all deserve moments like that, after all.