sweating then snowing

March 9, 2022

Yesterday I was paddle boarding.

Sweating.

Feeling hot with the sun on my face.

Today—

I picked a daffodil before it was buried in snow. These fast changes remind me that you can move in any direction— and even if it feels different than the one before — it’s still a good direction to be moving.

I see it all the time in nature, so it is the same when it happens to me. The point is to find your feet and move to where you are going. Last night, while sitting beneath the pine trees next to a campfire I felt the exact moment when the weather front changed. It was when the winds moved in.

The winds picked up — started blowing — trees swayed — I swayed — looking up, I stayed. Still.

It got cold so fast. Mere moments.

I can slow it down in my memory. Each drop of temperature changing.

Feeling the heat from the fire.

The cold wind at my back.

The bullfrogs croaking.

The water lapping.

Everything — at the exact edge of changing.

—

And today — a snow day — I woke up and looked outside the window to feel like a kid again. Somewhere around the age of 10. Before teenaged years came in. I lived in the woods and went sledding. Trying to build a ramp to jump over the creek — and land — with my sled —- on the other side.

There were no broken bones that day. An ankle slammed into a tree? Maybe.

I don’t remember any jumping either — or landing for that matter —

Just the thrill of moving fast, trying to dodge trees, and eventually, just laughing, and walking back up to the beginning.

These simple, easy joys when you are a kid —

These are the moments that remind you that you are living.