I was celebrating a good friend’s birthday this past weekend and I was thinking what a beautiful summer day it was. We were all enjoying the amazing view of the Chattahoochee River when, all of the sudden, I remembered this piece I wrote on March 3, 2010, one day after I turned 40.
Since the piece had been originally written in Spanish and I had promised my Spanish-speaking friends that I would be posting something in that language sometime soon, I decided to leave it as it was. I hope my friends who don’t speak Spanish will not get offended…this will be a one-time thing*.
So here it is…
WHAT A BLIZZARD!
I turned 40 years old yesterday and, to make this date even more memorable, it snowed steadily all morning and part of the afternoon in Atlanta.
As a resulta, there was no celebration as I had planned with some friends, so I spent my first night as a woman in her 40s at home, with the always pleasant company of myself...a try luxury, on second thought.
I've been told that the fact that it snowed on such important date is a good omen and, although I know they told me that to make the aging burden more bearable, I want to believe that's how it is. At this point in life don't expect that my normally positive attitude will turn into bitterness. That, plain and simple, will NOT happen.
The blizzard also made me think about how incredible nature is and how it manages to remind us once in a while that life is a little bit like the seasons of the year: with temperature increases and drops, with rain or drought seasons, with blooming gardens or leaf-less trees, with some sunny days and some cloudy ones...yet, it's those changes and contrasts that make it so interesting.
The key to enjoy life is understanding that each season brings along a series of peculiarities. It's up to us to take advantage of all good things and face the challenges each one presents. ¿And what to do regarding the bad? Simply, we must confront it with patience and sense of humor.
I think I've learned something during these 40 years...right now, I'm readier than ever for spring!
Editor's Note (5/8/2017): *This post was originally published on July 29, 2013 in Spanish under the title ¡QUÉ NEVADA!, with an introduction in English.