The sun is shining, and it feels relatively warm when I come out of the grocery store. When I get home and the groceries are unloaded and put away, I suggest to Gerry that we take a drive and maybe a short walk in the Wakamow valley. He’s all for it. I put a pink hoodie on Maya, Gerry tosses our jackets in the back seat of the car, and off we go.
It’s slushy in the park. Breezy too. Suddenly, the thought of walking any distance seems less appetizing—especially as we didn’t bring clothing that would make it comfortable and the shoes I’m wearing are no match for ice that’s everywhere these days. We rethink the plan and stop at a bridge we favoured this summer when we were still contemplating the move.
Maya balks at the prospect of a walk. You’re kidding, right? Stubbornly, she digs her paws in. No thanks. But once we’re off the snow and onto the bridge, she’s willing to tolerate a short (very short) trek. In fact, she would have walked farther had Gerry and I mutually agreed that the wind was not making for a pleasant time and we turned back toward the car (with Maya going full tilt knowing we were done with these shenanigans). I stopped on the bridge to capture a few images with my phone.
The season is changing. Gradually, here. Early in the morning, the roads are sheer ice in spots; in the afternoon, we ford lakes to get to where we’re going. But patches of grass are being revealed in our backyard and the wood of the deck is surfacing from the snow that’s covered it since we arrived in December. It’s happening a little later than we’re used to, but spring weather will come all in good time.
There’s more change on the horizon too. Starting on Monday, Gerry and I step back into a full-time grandparent role as our daughter heads out to start a new job and Makiya moves in with us for the rest of the school year. Gerry and I are already in negotiation about who’s taking the early shift with our Yorkie, Maya, and the late shift when Makiya is out past our very early bedtime. I think we’ve come to an understanding. 🙂
This change is more of a challenge to navigate than anticipating the return of spring, but once decisions were made and solutions agreed upon, I did my best to release my desire and look forward. There are many things I’m thankful for with this change, and also things I’m sad about. Isn’t that life, though? Beautiful and terrible (though, in this case, it’s not completely terrible).
And so, we prepare to enter another new season—a little sad, more than a little hopeful, and a whole lot grateful at the same time. (And yes, I know that’s poor grammar. 🙂 )