It’s no secret that this winter we have had a lot of weather. A lot of rain, snow, wind, cold. It’s been a blessing and a delight for some and a tragedy for others. The weather is the one thing left in the world that we, mankind cannot control. And I for one think that’s lovely.
They do try to predict what the weather will be like ahead of time. El Nino they call it, a colder weather pattern off the Pacific Ocean. I see charts that will basically tell you a year ahead of time what kind of weather to expect in any region of the world. It’s not exactly accurate, but within the week pretty much it is close enough these days. Lately, the weather people have been pretty much on the nose.
Likewise, I can pretty much tell what will happen when I go to certain places, go around certain people, do certain things. For instance, I know that if I went to a rock and roll concert and sit in the front row, it will be loud! Duh! I know that if I go to my favorite Mexican restaurant, I’ll eat too much of their chips and salsa, I always do. I know that if I go to a 12-step meeting, I’ll hear the message of recovery. And so on and so forth.
If I work the steps, I’ll get better. If I quit eating candy and sugar, I’ll lose weight. If I start writing, I’ll end up with a story. The thing is, if I keep trying to predict the weather or the future, then I’m gonna be off the mark most of the time, but if I try to get my own life in order by doing all the things suggested in the program and by doing God’s will then I just might have a little more control over my outcomes than if I were to continue to use. I can probably guess how I’m gonna end up, whether or not it rains.
That is not to say that I can predict what will happen every where all the time, there are just too many variables, like the weather and God’s will for instance. Then of course, there are other peoples behavior that I can’t always be sure of, but to the best of my ability I can plan on my part. Which, can of course go sideways if I cop an attitude over peoples behaviors.
A couple of days ago, it was pouring rain like crazy and we had to drive a good distance on the grid lock crazy freeway to meet up with our grandkids. The ride was unnerving, but my husband is an excellent driver and I had to let go and let him and pray that God would protect us from other people’s crazy moves. And so He did, we got there and back safely. Thank goodness.
I’m not sure if I have mentioned this before, but I am a SAD sufferer. That is Seasonal Affectiveness Disorder. I know it sounds weird, like cry baby stuff, but it’s the best description I’ve ever seen that describes what happens to me due to season change and weather situations. I have a lot more energy in the Spring and Summer than I do in the Winter. In the winter, if I spend too many days in cloudy, rainy, overcast days I begin to get depressed and feel down. I think I’m not the only one.
But, because I know this about me, the fact that I’m a SAD sufferer that is, I can see it coming and take proactive measures. I double up on meetings, I plan on outings and trips that make me happy. Like going to visit my kids and grandkids, 😊. Doing step work with my sponsees and going to their celebrations. Sitting under a light, believe it or not, that helps. I can’t tell you how happy I am that the sun is starting to shine, and the weather is warming up a bit.
It is Spring Break for our grandson this week, which is weird, because it’s still winter, until the 22nd of March, our first full day of Spring. And it won’t matter if it’s snowing or raining, it’ll still be Spring then. I have seen it snow in the desert on April 1st, so, you never know, there is a lot of unpredictable variables in this life, weather is at the top.
Still, we make our plans and try our best to move forward and do all the things we need to do and want to do. I try to plan for the best, but things happen that are totally out of my control. And, we can plan for that too. Be prepared for anything to happen. I didn’t use to do that and boy oh boy did I end up in precarious situations. For some time now I have learned to add “buffer time” into travel plans. If it’s locally I add in an extra hour, if it’s national, I add a day, if it’s international I add a couple of times in between different stays. This….has saved me a ton of money and stress. Because guess what? The weather has been the cause of cancelled flights and detours, many times.
So, whether or not the weather has some say so in your lives, we can still plan ahead, as they say, “it wasn’t raining when Noah built the Ark”. Stock enough wood for the winter, plan for the big blizzard. Put buffer days into travel plans. Plan outings and events that will bring you up out of the doldrums and bring you joy. Just stay safe and dry ya’ll. Spring is coming.
Question of the Week: How has the weather been affecting you? Maybe working a step can help?
