Oh, The Weather Out There is Frightful

On these cold weather days it is easy for me to question why I live here in Duluth, Minnesota. I’m sure there are others out there who are doing the same thing on the heels of Snowmageddon and now faced with toughing out the frigid temperatures. In fact, it seems I question my choices every year at the start of winter.

Why do I live where it is double digits below zero, and if you are outside too long (like, say, 10 minutes) you will get frostbite?

Why do I live somewhere there can be a 40-degree swing in temperature on any given day?

Why do I live somewhere you have to wear your coat sometimes inside your house because it’s so cold (true confession)? 

Yes, this is early winter in Duluth… just a few hours by car from the border of Canada. This is how I’ve described where I live to people I’ve met around the world and instantly they get it. It’s darn cold where we live.

However, can you keep a secret? Most people who don’t live here don’t know that we have amazingly warm, and often hot, summers. That is our little secret to keep our city safe from getting too overpopulated. 

So, on these cold, dreary days I hold tight to thoughts of summer. Yes, queue the Frozen song by Olaf called In Summer: 

Winter’s a good time to stay in and cuddle. But put me in summer and I’ll be a — happy [woman]. When life gets rough, I like to hold on to my dream of relaxing in the summer sun…”

I also try to keep my calendar full of fun events so the time passes by quickly. Because winter is so long here in Duluth, our community ensures there are plenty of indoor and outdoor activities for families to do when the weather is cold and snowy.

Also, on sunny days, I try to get outside to soak in any amount of sun-rays I can. Getting enough daily Vitamin D is so important to our mental health during the long winters. I personally take a supplement year-round just to be sure I get enough and stay my happy self.

Lastly, I hold tight to the notion of choices. It is my choice to live here. No one else’s. So, since I choose to live here I can also choose to accept the weather. As much as I want to summon from above 30-degree and warmer weather on these negative temperature days that’s not going to happen. 

For those of you familiar with the Alcoholics Anonymous Serenity Prayer, this is a helpful mantra and meditation for anyone looking to add more acceptance and courage into their daily lives. It goes like this:

“[Please] grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change [like the weather], the courage to change what I can and the wisdom to know the difference.”