Hope springs eternal

At least my hope is that Spring is here to stay. On Monday it actually got up to 50 degrees and I thought I was in heaven. I have lived in North Dakota most of my life and usually get through winter without too many thoughts of moving away for good but for some reason this winter was one of those where I began to think that I must be crazy for living here. Maybe because the below zero temperatures started at the end of November and continued on until March. I remember one morning after I got home from work in late February and it was -29 degrees, I checked the temperatures in Alaska and the coldest spot was Barrow at 9 degrees. Even in Alberta, Canada the coldest temp was -9 degrees. So tell me where was the frigid air coming from? That was the day I seriously thought that we North Dakotans are crazy for living here. But now that spring is on the way, I am reminded of why we live here...the fresh spring air, blue skies, birds singing, wide open spaces, taking long walks along the river and enjoying the beauty that God has provided for our enjoyment! That's what I love most about spring is that it brings with it hope of better times ahead.
I think you can think of winter in North Dakota like childbirth. As you are going through the experience you think you are never going to go through this again. But then the baby comes and the joy it brings to your life helps you to forget the pain you went through and soon you are ready to have another one. That is what spring does, it brings back the beauty of nature and reminds you of all the reasons you love North Dakota and it makes the winter not seem so bad. So here's to better times ahead!