I don't like the cold weather. This unbearable feeling has been engraved in me for as long as I could remember.
15 years ago around October, my mother was walking me to preschool. You could hear the breeze sweep away the leaves off the trees, and the morning mist covered grass with droplets of water. I had shorts and a tee shirt on, expecting everyday to be warm like usual, except this morning was different.
The temperature had dropped down to the near 60’s, which for many is considered normal, but for me is my worst fear when summer is ending. I felt my goosebumps form and the hairs along my arms stick up. I shivered, and I felt my skin pinch me from underneath. I never liked the cold weather, let alone preschool. The combination of these two made me burst into a temper tantrum, and almost refuse to walk into preschool, so my mother was forced to grab me by the arms and drag me through the wooden doors of my teachers classroom.
That core memory has resonated with me my whole life. It marks the beginning of my fear for the cold weather. Now as summer begins to end, and night approaches faster everyday, the temperature begins to drop and my mood becomes negative. Morning walks turn into putting on layers of sweaters and the switch from my usual sandals to uggs. The feelings of the cold brushing against my skin makes me so uncomfortable. I feel my nose tingle and my body shaking. All I can think about is going home under my bed and wrapping myself in my favorite blanket.
My gray blanket has always sheltered me from the cold. I take each furry end and wrap it to each side so all my body is covered. When I have to take my dog outside, this blanket makes sure to shield any of the wind that tries to make me freeze.
Throughout my life I have tried to protect myself from any weather that is remotely cold. But all these years of avoiding the discomfort, I have learned that maybe the cold isn’t so bad. Some of the most memorable moments are when me and my sister would make snowmen and snowballs together.
Gathering all the snow with my bare hands, and watching my fingers turn red from the cold was painful. But the pain led to some of the best memories. As the snow fell and my body became stiffer, sledding down our steep neighborhood hill with my best friend created a core memory for both of us. Without the cold, the snow wouldn’t be able to exist, and those fun times with the people that mean the most to me wouldn’t be able to fill my mind.
With the turning of cold also comes certain holidays. Celebrating Christmas is my favorite day to look forward to all year. My family goes to the same christmas tree business every year. We take the 20 minute drive up to D.C. and pick out our favorite tree. Once we get there, the smell of the pine and wood fill my lungs. Looking around I see so many beautiful trees to pick from, but one always stands out to me. I love picking out the biggest and fullest tree.
Then going home and decorating with my family is something I look forward to all throughout the year. We take the ornaments out of the basement and each take our fair share of hanging them up on the tree.
Even though I have a negative sentiment towards the cold weather, I have seen the positive times it brings in my life and I am forever grateful for that.