No Such Thing

My friend Chuck says there is no such thing as bad weather, only bad clothes.  I think he learned this sage wisdom from his father.  The first time I heard it, I said, I like that! And I have repeated it to many others as well as myself hundreds of times.

I like warm weather. A lot. And I love sunshine. So, this mantra is one I have worked to keep in mind especially transitioning to a Colorado winter.

It’s now Christmas morning. I have just returned from a wooded walk at a local park near my Mom’s in Northern Indiana. And, I rushed to my computer with stinging fingers to write this.

While walking, I heard Chuck’s voice in my head. But I’m starting to think what he says is bogus (love ya Chuck!). It’s 17 degrees but feels like 9 degrees with wind chill.

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I am wearing ski pants. I actually thought about Chuck when I packed them for my trip. I knew I wasn’t going to ski. I thought there might be some snow to play in and figured, why not? They still have the tags on them, and I may have a chance to break them in.

So, as I layered this morning, I was feeling pretty proud of myself.  I also have an insulated winter coat. A warm hat. A buff. And I am so prepared that I have a hand warmer. Hank has his natural coat. And his Alaskan Malamute DNA. We are all set.

Within five minutes on the walking path, all I could think of was, Chuck, that’s BS. Already, I couldn’t feel my fingers. My face was burning from the wind. The sky was grey. It felt dreary. This is where I grew up. I understand and expect this weather. But my body said, this IS bad weather. I don’t have to like it– it IS BAD.

I know this way of thinking can slow me down. So, I focused on Hank. Running through the park, as happy as I have seen him in four days. I took a few pictures and my fingers got even colder. I wrapped them around my hand warmer and brought it up to my nose. It felt so good, and I was pleased that I remembered to bring it with me. Then I noticed that my legs were super cozy in my ski pants. I got proud all over again about how prepared I was. And then I remembered, it was my choice.

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There is no such thing as bad weather, only bad clothes. What does this really mean? We cannot control the weather. This is a truth. And we will face other things in life that we cannot control. And that is a truth. But, we still, ALWAYS make choices. And that is a truth that hits me in the face, regularly, in all kinds of ways. Today it hit like an ice cold, bone chilling, wind.

Choose the most appropriate clothes for whatever weather you are facing. How about that? Who doesn’t need to be reminded of that, especially, this year of all years.

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