Brenda’s Blog – October 14, 2014
“What a beautiful Colorado winter day – let’s go play!”
We moved to Pagosa Springs from Arizona. In the first year we joined the other “flatlanders” (the not-so-favorable phrase for Texans and Arizonans) who saw the clear blue skies and ran headfirst into playtime.
It took us an entire season to understand the correlation between gorgeous winter days and the storm which was surely coming behind. On those days when tourists from non-mountainous areas romped, the locals ran errands, loaded in food, filled vehicles with gas, and prepared. Prepared for what? BAD WEATHER!
They knew after years of experience that those beautiful, unseasonably warm days were precursors to heavy snows. By year two, we left the tourists behind and joined the lines at the grocery and gas station.
Years later during my own personal storm, I remembered this experience and saw great similarities. There were days when my mind was perfectly clear and the stress level seemed to disappear. My first reaction was to play. YAY! Then I thought back to Pagosa. Hmmmm.
Could these days of clarity be given for preparation? Could play take a back seat?
I began using those “sunny winter moments” to do paperwork, make phone calls, and organize my thoughts because I knew an emotional storm was coming when I wouldn’t be able to handle things as well. It made that time manageable and helped me mature.
Generations ago used to say, “Make hay while the sun shines!” There is certainly time for recreation, but in stormy times, the sun shine may be better used for hay-making.