Since it’s been cold and gray for quite some time now, it might be helpful to take an inventory of all the little blessings this time of year brings, lest we’re tempted to think Our Lord is snowbirding and will be back once summer hits.
These tiny delights are tokens of God’s presence and tremendous love for us, and proof that He’s with us always, even in February.
Snow sparkle
Being cold is the worst. As I’ve gotten older, I feel like I’m cold all the time. In fact, I’m cold right now.
But there is nothing that takes the edge off the harshness of frigid temperatures quite like snow sparkle.
Is there anything more beautiful than beholding freshly fallen snow twinkling like a million tiny diamonds?
And that more than makes up for it being so cold that the soda cans in the garage have exploded, leaving a mess of tin shards and brown slush to clean up in the morning.
Tidy snow
Almost as beautiful as sparkling snow is the sight of snow that has melted on the roads, driveways, and sidewalks and looks like it has fallen only on lawns.
I can’t explain the science, but if you’ve ever headed out to shovel after a snowfall only to find a wet driveway instead of a snowy one, you know what I mean.
Sometimes snow remains in tidy white rectangles only on the grass without any effort at all, and that is an act of divine mercy.
Winter sunsets
Have you seen these winter sunsets? They’re amazing!
Fiery reds and oranges and fuschias light up the sky at sunset unlike any other time of year.
They’re so beautiful, they’ll make you forget about how you fishtailed on the drive home.
Cardinals and their round-bellied feathered friends
One of my favorite winter pastimes is watching the birds visit the feeder on our deck.
I especially love seeing the cardinals, who look so handsome in their red feathers that stand out against the white snow.
We also get other feathered visitors who only come in the winter. I don’t know what species they are, but they’re fluffy and so round that their stomachs leave indentations in the snow.
They are impossibly adorable.
Toddlers in snow suits
But even more delightful than spotting winter birds is seeing toddlers in snowsuits.
The slow, wide-stanced
astronaut walk makes me smile every time, no matter how cold it is.
And if they’re wearing a hat with bear ears on it, forget about it.
Their cuteness is out of this world.
Appearing exceptionally hardy to our warm weather friends
Sometimes Our Lord wants our light to shine, and it’s when it’s winter and we’re telling our warm weather friends just how cold it is here.
There’s an honest pride in boasting to our friends in Florida, Texas, and California about how it’s -40 degrees outside and there’s frost inside our houses and then listening to them gasp.
We’re like hardy shrubs that can tolerate any weather thrown our way.
Your slow cooker
‘Tis the socially acceptable season of the slow cooker!
I use it year-round but get teased for firing it up in mid-July.
But when we’re deep in February, everyone is happy to see the slow cooker come out.
This miracle appliance turns basic ingredients and minimal effort into comfort food, all the while delivering massive aroma that shouts, “I am PREPARED for dinner!”
The slow cooker is a permissible humble brag that announces you are a responsible adult who thought about dinner way ahead of time.
The shortest month of the year
A final token of divine love is that February is the shortest month of the year.
I think Our Lord knew we could only tolerate so many cold, gray days before we needed to turn the
calendar page.
But before we do, let’s thank Him for showing His love for us through all the beautiful snow, sunsets, birds, and babies, and also for not making February any longer.
Meg Matenaer is a wife, mom, social media writer, and author residing in the Diocese of Madison.