It’s February 28th. When I was a kid – in Miami – I could never figure out why February had 28 days. I understood that 365 divided by 12 doesn’t come out even, but why not give each month 30 days, and distribute the other 5 to five different months? That seems more fair. It seems more logical. I didn’t understand.
Then I spent my first February in Michigan. Now I get it! Twenty-eight days is more than enough!
Every year when I flip the calendar from February to March, I get a little thrill of victory. WE MADE IT! I’ve been in Michigan nearly 50 years, so I’m not so naïve as to think it’s over yet. We might still have a foot of snow in our future. But the worst is over, and we can look ahead to Spring.
Think about this:
This week we had a couple of days that got to 50°! And the next two weeks are promising above-freezing temperatures most days.
The days are getting longer! At this time of year they get longer by 3 minutes per day. (I looked it up.) That doesn’t seem like a lot, but 3 minutes per day for 3 weeks is an hour!
Next weekend we will switch to Daylight Saving Time. On March 9, the sun will set at 7:32 PM. So when you drive to church for our 6:00 PM Lenten services, you won’t be driving in the dark!
Lent begins next week (it’s very late this year). That means we’re in the countdown to Easter, which is April 20. This Easter you won’t need to wear a parka with your Easter bonnet. By then we will have daffies and tulips and the trees will be in bloom. Spring is right around the corner!
So, tomorrow, when you flip your calendar over to March, feel free to do a little Victory Dance. WE MADE IT!
Elaine Pearson
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