Well, we have officially entered into spring. It doesn't feel like it yet but there are definite signs. I see green trying to poke it's way through the earth in my garden, the birds are definitely revving up, and the sun feels warmer. Although I'm not fixated on the weather, I'm glad we're through winter because we'll get some relief from the "winter whiners".

I have lived in the Northeast all my life and it never ceases to amaze me how much effort is put into discussing the weather, especially in recent years. I often wonder if we wouldn't be better off if we just didn't know until we woke up to whatever was going on and then dealt with it accordingly. I remember a time when that's exactly what went on. Of course as a kid it was exciting to wake up to snow and the possibility of staying home from school. However it had to be akin to an Antarctic blizzard with the only transportation possible being dog sleds. People just seemed to brave the elements differently. They just sucked it up and went their merry way. Today we need to know how many inches, will it be mixed with rain, how big the flakes will be, and will it or won't it go out to sea? Then there are hundreds of shots of clogged highways, abandoned vehicles and individuals shoveling or snow-blowing their sidewalks. Roving reporters from different stations interview individuals carving their way through the ice and snow as if they were looking for answers to world peace.

All the people interviewed are always in shock that the weather is doing what it's doing even though the season would ultimately give them the reason. Following is what we all know but seem to forget. If its winter it usually snows or its cold, spring brings variable weather, summer is mostly hot and humid, and fall is temperate and sometimes chilly. Often, none of the former holds true and the weather fools you and brings a sixty degree day in January or February. I find it to be remarkably metaphorical. Nothing is perfect and nothing stays the same. This flies in the face of what we humans strive for, which is to have things the way we think they should be. Weather, work, family friends, traffic, kids, animals, can be unpredictable. The best gift you can give yourself is to learn to accept the unexpected. Believe me you'll be much happier.