CAN I MAKE IT THROUGH THE WINTER? [10-3-25]

BEYOND WINTER: The Irrelevant Musings of An Old Man—CAN I MAKE IT THROUGH THE WINTER? [10-3-25]

 

October is a dying month. Can I make it through the winter? That is what old people ask. If they do not want to try it, they die in October, before winter gets started. Ministers and funeral directors know this. 

Unfortunately, by asking if we can make it through the winter, we lose the joy of October, by dreading the advent of winter. October should be a joy in itself,

Yes, October is a joy in itself, but also a joy that winter is coming, because winter is a privilege. If you give up in October, you don’t get to have a winter, and winters can be fun. I am glad if I can make it to winter, whether I make it through winter or not.

Yes, winters can be fun. No, I don’t mean skiing and ski jumping and snow shoeing and ice fishing dancing the parka polka. What? You’ve never danced the parka polka?

Lace up your boots and zip up your coat, let’s do the parka polka. Pull on your ski mask and grab your wool scarf, let’s do the parka polka. Pull on your mittens and your flannel-lined pants, until not an inch of skin shows. The only way I know you’re female, is by the way you do the parka polka. [The tune of The Pennsylvania Polka, of course.]

Winter is fun because it is a gift. Not everyone gets to experience the winter years of life, those years when you have time to forgive trespasses and make peace with what has been. Those extra years of trying to make the world a better place. If you can no longer climb up on the barricades and march in the streets, you can try for a better world through prayer and hope and faith. The world always needs more folks who can pray and hope and keep the faith. 

I think I can make it through the winter. I’ll put on my warm winter faith. I may not be able to dance the parka polka, but I can sing We shall overcome…

Until winter comes, though, I’m going to enjoy October.

John Robert McFarland

Recently I heard this statement by Confucius: We have two lives. The second one starts when we realize that we have only one life.