Since I live in the cold Canadian Prairies, I’ve loved this quote since I first laid eyes on it. This has been a milder than usual winter here in Tiny Town, but we’ve had a recent dumping of fresh sparkling snow, and enough days with sub-zero temperatures to make me long for warm summer days.

The thing about winter here is that it’s kind of like a survivor situation. People band together and commiserate about their housebound days when it’s minus forty, taking twenty minutes to bundle the kids into their snowsuits every.single.time.they.leave.the.house, and how we all just can’t wait for spring. We learn much about ourselves, and our ability to handle less than desirable situations. Some ride out these months with ease, always looking for the joy and gratitude in each situation. Others handle themselves with slightly less grace, finding reason to complain behind every snowy and windy corner. I see a little of each in myself on most days.

But, at the end of the day, I sense a wild and untameable hope poking up. An invincible summer, as it were. I knew this to be true when my honey went away for nine loooooonnnng days to sunny California, leaving me, the kiddos, and my pregnant belly behind in our arctic-ish surroundings, it was certainly a winter of our own. Both literally and figuratively.

My goal was to not just survive, but to thrive. Strangely enough, I did. It was nine days of peaceful interactions, fun planned activities, and more patience than I ever knew I had. I grew as a mama in those days. I learned that when necessary, I can be more of the mom I want to be. Even for my roughest day running on little sleep I found a way to intentionally get through without melting down or checking out (ok, unless you count the two hours of American Idol we watched on the laptop).

It seems that I learned an important lesson in those days: that even in my darkest winter days, the times tempting me to react in an ugly and fleshly way, I still possess that invincible summer within. So often in the rhythm of life and days when Daddy is coming home at supper-time as per usual I find myself tempted to check out mid-afternoon, and just quit trying so hard. He’ll be home soon and can take over when I finally give in to Meltdown Mama, says my subconscious. This is not a helpful way of life, nor does it do anyone any favours. Grumpy mama always begets grumpy children, which always results in one very unenjoyable whirling cycle of grumpiness. When hubby was away and I was the only adult left, I simply could not afford to melt down. I knew what that would lead to, and I was afraid of what could happen with no “back-up” coming my way. So, I picked myself up by my bootstraps and got ‘er done.

The question is: why don’t I do that every day?

Perhaps I could plan to start supper earlier, so that when 4pm hits and the kids are cranky, I can sit down on the floor and play with them. Or maybe making sure to respond to any typical toddler messes (“on purpose” or otherwise) with an extra dose of grace and calm so that I don’t allow the day to escalate into the Grumpy Zone. Or just being sure to have fun things to pass our days, like special art projects, chores or baking that we can do together.

Two young kids and a pregnant belly is my life right now. If I want to be That Mom everyday, and not just as a once-a-year survival effort, then I need to be intentional about it. By this summer I will have birthed three kiddos in less than four years. When I say it like that it seems crazy that I wouldn’t always have my game face on and ready to go. I know that I am capable. How badly do I want it? Well, as they say, the proof is in the pudding. {mmm, pudding…}.

There is an invincible summer in all of us. Shall we set it free?

Beth

Beth is the creator and editor here at Red & Honey, a lifestyle blog for the naturally-minded homemaker. She recently began a passionate love affair with coffee and her life will never be the same. She has had three babies in less than four years, is a professional laundry-avoider, and loves to stay up way too late making weird stuff from scratch that normal people tend to just buy in a store. Hence, the coffee.

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