Flying south

What would we do without winter?

2/20/21
If we ever
   end up
Somewhere warm,
Palm trees,
Locusts buzzing,
Long evening walks
   in short sleeves,
We will always
   keep with us
Gently falling snow,
Snow tubing,
Snow angels,
   flakes on her tongue.
Even though
   I know
Warm
Is ultimately
   what you need.

Photo by Wil Stewart on Unsplash

Over the last few weeks, I have taken to snapping photos of the freezing morning temps on our car dashboard and texting them to my Bestie from the West Coast, KJ Nasrul, MFT aka Kimberly Jane Nasrul, who is based in Los Angeles, where the current temp as I write this is a balmy 57°, about 30° warmer than where I sit.

After receiving one that read -2°, she wrote:

“I have absolutely no frame of reference for that kind of cold.”

In recent days this, and the text of the above poem, has made me think of the fact that our little one is growing up knowing what true cold is. -2°F ain’t fooling around. And kids who grow up in places like Los Angeles or Orlando or Nashville would have no frame of reference for this.

Likewise, our little one has no concept of what it’s like to endure an extended heat wave with a heat index of 115°F, which is apparently not uncommon in places like Nashville or Dallas. Our trips to Disney have brought us tastes of moments like that, but to have that as your every day is another thing entirely.

As a result of her wintry upbringing, our little one has developed a ferocious love of winter sports and activities. She participates in adaptive skiing almost every weekend, and loves nothing better than to go zooming down the mountain (while her mother and I sneak off to the local coffee shop for chai). She’s also a big fan of adaptive ice-skating and sledding.

Here she is, zooming this past weekend…

If, as the poem above suggests, someday we make the move down south, what will life be like for our intrepid winter sport enthusiast? Will she dive headfirst into year-round swimming, water skiing, and surfing, some of which we already do up here in the warmer months? Will she miss the thrill of ice cold wind on her cheek as she achieves top speed down Loon Mountain?

Will the buzzing of locusts and the swaying of palm trees soothe her wild winter spirit? Or will a part of her always long for that invigorating chill that means adventure and adrenaline?

❤️
Adam