Winter Is Here--Time to Complain?

Today may be the first day of winter officially, but around here, it's already been winter for a few weeks now. We're in a deep freeze, though not a deep, deep kind of deep freeze. Snow, crusted over, on all the yards, dirty at the edges. Trees, tall and bare, looking like the ones from those scary woods in the movie, The Village.

It's gonna look like this till late April. Winter is long here. It just is. And you either accept that, or you move away, or you go insane while complaining about it. Basically, those are your only three choices. No, make that four choices--you accept our long winters a little bit and complain a little bit. That's probably where most of us are.

Winter here always reminds me of a life lesson I have learned. Well, have almost learned. There are some things you can change, some things you can't change, and some things you must just accept as they are.

Sometimes I complain about the snow, but then I realize, hey! There's absolutely nothing I can do to keep the snow from falling. And complaining about the snow will only make things worse.

Complaining won't make the sun come out.
Complaining won't get my driveway shoveled.
Complaining won't make my house feel cozier.
Complaining won't make my friends appreciate me more.
Complaining will not spread joy.
Complaining won't fill me with peace.

No, complaining is like hitting your head with a rubber mallet over and over.
It's like drilling a hole in your heart so that all your hope drips out.
It's like being a cow who chews on the same drippy old cud all day.
It's like using the energy designated for great things and using it, instead, for something pointless.
It's like choosing to have a bad day when you could have had a fantastic one.

Complaining. I'm still learning about it's harmful effects. Every winter reminds me.

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"And when the people complained, it displeased the Lord: and the Lord heard it; and his anger was kindled; and the fire of the Lord burnt among them, and consumed them that were in the uttermost parts of the camp." Numbers 11:1

"If you don't like something, change it. If you can't change it, change your attitude. Don't complain." ... Maya Angelou