I’ve decided that whole saying about March “coming in like a lion and going out like a lamb” must not apply to us in the Midwest.
I was pretty sure the first of March was cold and icky around here [I looked it up; I was right] so I was anxiously anticipating that it would go out like a lamb… full of sunshine and warm breezes. We had a bit of that in the middle of the month, but on Saturday we started this:
and are supposed to have either rain or snow in the forecast all week.
I think Mary’s little lamb got lost following her to school.
Actually, I’m not that surprised because it is Iowa… and the weather is consistently inconsistent around here. The reason I’m paying so much attention to it is because every time it rains or snows I’m thinking of Vicky. If you read the comments you certainly know her… she and her family live in Moorhead, MN, and despite all of their constant sandbagging last week they ended up having to evacuate because of the rising Red River. And now, as I watch the snow fall and hear the rain pelt against my windows, I’m hoping their home stays dry and the walls of sandbags they broke their backs putting into place make all of their efforts worth the trouble.
As I read through her comments last week, so many people were amazed at the community sandbagging effort and shocked at how much people were willing to help. I couldn’t help but think back to last summer when the floods hit our town and devastated a city an hour away. It all happened about a month after tornadoes came through and caused total destruction down the road. Yes, weather changes on a dime here in the Midwest, but communities band together as well.
I wrote about it last summer… whether a crisis is happening or all is calm, I wouldn’t trade being in an Iowa community for anything. I know I’ve been so blessed to have great friends close by, to have met neighbors who are so caring and willing to help, to know that no matter what happens I don’t have to worry about how I’ll get by. I’ve always felt lucky that such great people have been placed in my life, but as I watched those events happen last summer I came to realize that there is something very “home-grown” about the care, kindness and empathy of people around here.
And I wouldn’t trade it for anything in the world. Even if we do have to put up with a few more lions than lambs.