Love and winter from a snow bunny

Everyone loves a snow day! When temps dip and the white stuff falls, I can’t wipe the grin off my face, until I hear that collective whine, “This weather is terrible.” When did Minnesotans start hating winter? Aren’t we the hockey state? Don’t we relish our winter carnivals and teach our children to make snow people? Aren’t we the region of champion skiers and snow bunnies alike? 

With the first hint of snow I run outside and make snow angels and shovel the driveway and hear the clean fresh crunch underneath my warm winter boots. I roll snowballs and drink hot chocolate. I make plans to go skating and snow shoeing and cross country skiing. I fill up with the silent, calm, cold. It forces me to just be. 

I wait all year for this scene.

Until the sad sacks give me a full report on why they hate winter and remind me to be careful, I might slip on the ice. Cue the sad trombones. The dissatisfaction of these hapless haters rubs all the bloom off my excitement.

Eric Dayton (yes, those Daytons) recently began a mission to end the weather hating hysteria all too common with our local media. As forecasters  repeatedly describe winter as bad, the entire state starts to chant the anti-winter mantra. Enough already! I am on board with Dayton (and not just because he happens to own one of my favorite restaurants) and am hoping to change the weather rhetoric. 

If you are one of those people who declares our Minnesota weather is too cold, I gently remind you that this is winter. Stop spoiling my fun! We are lucky to have seasons. I encourage you to embrace all that is chilly, and if you are cold when you go outside it is probably because you aren't dressed for it. A wise Scandinavian once said, "There is no bad weather, just bad clothing."