It’s February

It’s 7:00AM, and it’s light outside.

I mean, I can see out the window. I can see over by the Geis farm: the three silos that hug the sky. I can see down by the pond: the camera stand that shoots pictures of the deer, squirrels, and birds at the deer feeder. I can see up the hill: the top of the Theis house not hidden from our view. It’s light outside.

This is February. The time of year which usually throws most of us into a slump. We’re sick of winter. We’re sick of cold. We’re sick WITH colds and flus. Even with a beautifully mild winter such as the one we are experiencing this year, our biological clocks get yearning for more daylight. We are tired of hibernating. We are tired of television. We want to be more active. We want longer days.

As a school teacher, February was always my month to feel the slump. In February, I would question my teaching. I would question the students’ learning. I would question the goals of the school. In February, I could not see progress being made. I remember one year, sharing my concerns with a fellow teacher. she let me rant on for a few minutes, and then she said, “Jill, you say this every year at this time. It’s February.”

Now I know. And so when the feeling hits me that I am not doing my share of the load, when I feel like others aren’t cooperating with me, I just remind myself, it’s February.

For me, this feeling lifts as soon as the days start getting noticeably longer. And that is why, this morning, I can say with a smile:

It’s 7:00AM, and it’s light outside.

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