Aging with Grace

The woods are lovely, dark and deep, But I have promises to keep, And miles to go before I sleep, And miles to go before I sleep .

Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening By Robert Frost

Earlier this week, we had our first snowfall of the season. As I look out the window, I can appreciate the beauty of the scene. The landscape covered in a frosting of white is appealing. Appealing from the distance of a warm room. The reality of the coming winter is less attractive.The cold, the ice, the putting on and taking off of a myriad of clothes  to go outside, is not something I am looking forward to.

I grew up in the Northwoods of Wisconsin. Snow started falling around mid November and continued to accumulate until early spring. As a kid growing up, I loved it. I lived in a resort town. There was sledding, iceskating, ice fishing, building snowmen and making snow angles. Skiing was an option if you didn’t mind the ice and in the later years, snowmobiling became very popular. We didn’t mind being outside, even when it was so cold our breathe froze to our scarves. 

Colorado is blessed with, what usually are, mild winters. Especially, in comparison to the winters of my childhood. I can’t pinpoint when I became such I wimp about winter weather. I suppose it happened gradually, as I became older. I have to admit, I hate the idea of age being a limitation for anything. Therefore, I am going to approach this coming winter with a change of attitude. I am going to attempt a more cheerful demeanor as I go out every morning to take our dog for a walk. I’ll let you know how that goes.