5 Stages of Winter Grief

It is ugly outside.

Or so I think.

It could be worse, volcanoes, earthquakes, etc.

Yet somehow it will be fine, it always is, year after year, blizzard after blizzard…-40 after -40.

How can we stand it? There was one person at work today who said it was beautiful. That was one person. I work with a lot of people.

So how can we still live in this country? Thanks to Kübler-Ross and his 5 step theory on grief.

Step 1: Denial

“It’s not too cold”
“I Don’t need to take out my winter coat yet”
“We will have a few more nice days…”
“This will be the year that we walk outside in t-shirts on Christmas”

Step 2: Anger

This is where I’m at right now,  starting to wonder why I’m living here. There’s a foot of snow outside.
I think I pulled something in my back when I fell on the ice this dark evening on my way home from work in a blizzard.
I won’t curse here.

Step 3: Bargaining

Right when I’m done this post, I’ll figure this out.
I’ll probably Google some cheap airfare.
Maybe buy myself a new camera to allow me to better prepare for step 4; depression/hibernation.

Step 4: Depression

This stage coincides with the holidays, offset partially by the holiday gifts (then exacerbated by holiday family).
The Bluest part of the depression than starts in January, waking up in the dark, getting home in the dark, the car is towed because your shovel broke digging it out…I’ll stop.
Luckily, I have a new camera.

Step 5: Acceptance

The sooner the better…
Making the best of what is a really bad situation.
Snowboarding, ice hockey, hot chocolate, Irish stew, whiskey, more whiskey, Bailey’s & hot chocolate…It’s not all that bad.

Right?

And it will be summer again soon…