GOODBYE JANUARY

GOODBYE JANUARY

January is the month of resolve. The excesses of the holiday season are behind us and we resolve: To be thinner, pursue more fitness, and be more disciplined in ________,housework, gardening, our hobbies, our entertaining, you fill in the blank. Having resolved, I am glad that January is behind us. It is in our rear view mirror, adios resolve month.

We are now moving into the gray month of February. It is the month of sleety skies, partly cloudiness, and bitter wind. It is often a cold windy month of flu statistics, sneezing, and coughing. If you don’t believe me, just go to the grocery store and see for yourself. People will be sputtering over your bananas.

The thing I remember most from childhood about February is the cherry vanilla ice cream you could get around President’s Day. This was the only time of the year you could get it. I thought it was interesting as a child, the man killing a cherry tree by chopping it down would give us cherry vanilla ice cream to commemorate his day. I have always enjoyed the ice cream.

The thing to which I cling is this. After the grayness of February everything starts to bloom again, daffodils appear with their fragrance and sunny faces. Tiny blades of greenness appear to give us hope that all is not lost between resolve and grayness tempered with cherry vanilla ice cream.