March. In like a lion. Out like a lamb.

Spent the weekend in Philadelphia, 300 miles south with my friends Bob and Chris. This winter has been cold and relentless. No January thaw. So the 65 degree temperatures we enjoyed from Bob’s deck all weekend had me wishing I had thought to bring some shorts. Just feeling the warm air had me ready to pack away my new skis and start planting some tomatoes or something.

In a matter of hours, I watched the little remaining pile of snow (about 2 snowballs worth) next to Bob’s driveway transform to water and vapor.

Spring was here, baby! Good times.

Even when I arrived back home (with sunroof open) the season was new. For the first time in months, I did not start a fire in the wood stove. As I went to bed, I even contemplated opening the window to let the fresh air enhance my sleep.

Good thing I did not.

I awoke a few hours later to the sound of ice and snow being thrown against the glass by the wind. At first light, I was stunned to see that spring had only made a cameo — the fields before me were once again covered in a blanket of white.

Ugh.

I try to ignore the Facebook updates that curse every snowflake or the “light banter” with acquaintances about how lousy the weather is. But having tasting the delights of spring, I found myself cursing the cold, dreary day.

Spring will come. It always does. And there’s still much wonderful skiing to be done (the best time to go, methinks). 

But this was a reminder to me that we do not control all the circumstances of our lives. We do not control the economy. Or global warming. Or the weather.

But we can control how we think. And by controlling how we think, we control how we feel. When allow ourselves to feel good, we stand in the place where opportunities and our deepest desires can find us. When we ignore the power of our thoughts and begin to wallow, we have handed over the reins of our life and being creating by default.

It’s important to remember that the the sun is shining, even when it’s obscured by clouds.

Tasha and me on our daily hike. Cloudy. But beautiful.