FOR EVERY THING THERE IS A SEASON

I am not much of a winter person. Actually, that may be the understatement of the century. I like the first snow of the season but am completely over it and ready for warmth after the first day. I do love Christmas a whole lot but, as my childhood in Texas taught me, I don't need it to be cold to celebrate it. By the end of January I am ready to pack my bags and run away to the beach. I barely survive February and March. Oh, sure March is the beginning of spring but it has much more winter-y days than spring-y ones.

That brings me to April. Winter is finally, officially over. I have been in heaven this week. I know it may still get cold and rainy again, but we've had several beautiful days in a row, so I can take it. I have hope. I made it through another winter and now have six months of happiness and sunshine ahead of me.

With that being said, here are a few of my favorite (April) things:

1. Turning off the heater and opening the windows

2. Picnics at the park

3. Tax refunds

4. Messages written in sidewalk chalk

5. Babies in sunhats

6. Listening to birds sing all morning

7. Flip-flops or, better yet, bare feet

8. Asparagus, strawberries and avocados are fresh and cheap

9. Warm days and cool nights

I seriously get giddy about some of these things. And, yet, they seem so everyday and mundane. Some of them I have missed over the past six or seven months and am just so happy to experience them again.

I guess that's the point of having seasons.

Opposition in all things, or something like that.

If it weren't for winter, I probably wouldn't appreciate most of the things on that list. Spring would not be as good if I didn't have to suffer through bitter cold to get to it.

So, there's a life lesson in there somewhere for you.

I hate learning stuff.