Summertime

When we first learned we were moving to DC, the first thing everyone asked was, "Do you know it gets cold there?" That was quickly followed by "It rains there. Do you know it rains there?" My response was the same each time - I've spent most of my life in the midwest, so I was excited to live in a place where there are distinct seasons. We don't have many white Christmases in Texas, and the trees have to get a break from scorching sun before leaves can change colors and fall. (Well, they fall. It's just a pile of dead, brown leaves. Not so picturesque.) I never did get used to the cold or like the rain, but I did enjoy seeing the beauty of the changing seasons. (And if clarification is needed: by changing seasons, I mean changing fashion seasons. Uggs to pumps to wedges to riding boots and back to Uggs...the circle of life according to Regina.)

What I know is what all those friends knew about me when they first asked the question. I'm a summer girl. I would much rather endure 120 degrees in the summer than 20 below in the winter. I will always be more happy in a tank top and shorts than layers of clothes under layers of coats. Because that's what I have to do to stay warm. [I'm] a tropical people. (That's a movie reference. I'll send a Starbucks gift card to the first person who can name the movie.)

What I also know is that living in DC gave me even more appreciation for what I love. Summertime is beautiful but it's that much brighter when it comes on the heels of a rainy spring. Summertime is warm but it's warmth is that much more appreciated when you have experienced the bitter cold of winter. You can love something and become so familiar with it that you take it for granted. When seasons of life change and shift away from what you prefer, remember that the dark times are the times that make the sun shine brighter when it returns.