The Good Side of February

February is not all bad, even this year when so far it’s been rather nasty towards us in North America. But we can take comfort in the fact that it is short, which means it’ll soon be over. Thank goodness.

            But there are other good things about February. For example, it’s when we can really feel that the days are getting longer. I don’t know about you, but for me that means that spring is well on its way. While in this part of the world we may be buried in snow in February, I would find it difficult to live in a country where there is basically one season, summer, and where the number of daylight hours never varies. That’s certainly the case around the equator where days and nights are twelve hours each, day in and day out. The fact that we rejoice in longer daylight hours at this time of year in this part of the world is cause for optimism, for looking forward to a new season, for witnessing renewal.

            They say that as we get older, we get more and more like our parents. I realized that was indeed the case in my life the other day. The sun was shining brightly and, while it was bitterly cold outside, I could feel the warming rays through the windows in the front of the house. That’s when I did what my mother always did on sunny days in February—I raised the blinds to let the front rooms be bathed in sunshine and warmth. Giving us an early taste of spring’s wonder is indeed another good thing about February.

            As I get older, I continue to appreciate the four seasons every year, even winter. The way I figure it February gets nasty because it feels its end is at hand so it puts up a fuss in protest. And that’s not all bad. After February’s nastiness, we’ll be that much more appreciative of the rebirth spring will bring.