Don’t panic! Winter happens every year

The annual ‘Fall Freakout’ has come early to Alberta this year.

No matter where you go, the No. 1 topic of discussion is weather. My Facebook and Twitter feeds are cluttered with snow memes and cliché remarks about the cruel unfairness of winter.

 “I can’t believe this is happening!”

 “I heard it’s going to be the worst winter we’ve seen in the past 200 years!”

“Why the hell do we live here?”

According to Canadian Geographic, Canada is the second coldest country in the entire world, with an average year-round temperature of -3.6 C, so you’d think we’d be used to this by now.

Granted, it’s awful that we’re being forced to scrape ice and snow from our windshields before the middle of September, but do we really need to get ourselves all worked up about it every single year?

I do feel a bit of anxiety for the farmers who were in the middle of swathing and combining when this early snowfall struck, but the experts are adamant that warmer weather lies just ahead, so there’s no need to panic just yet.

I loathe the cold as much as the next Albertan, but I`ve come to accept the realities of life in the North Country. All a person can do is squeeze every ounce of enjoyment out of those precious few days of warm weather between June and August.

My kids, on the other hand, are totally pumped about the recent snowfall. Earlier this week, Grayson, our three-year-old, was excitedly telling Rylan, our one-year-old, that snow means the Christmas is coming soon. I guess we’ve skipped right past Halloween excitement this year.

Just the other morning, when Rylan got out of bed at 7 a.m., he ran to the window and gasped in amazement. “Look Daddy! More snow! Yaaaaaaaay!”

I didn’t share his enthusiasm, but it was amusing to see the wonder in his eyes as he scanned the snow-covered landscape for the first time. For kids, winter is all about Santa Claus, sledding, snow forts and hot coco. The seasonal bitterness doesn’t really set in until you reach adulthood.

The key to avoiding the winter blues is good mental preparation, which should begin around late July. By mid September, you should already have your snowbrushes out, your skates sharpened and your attitude properly adjusted.

There will be 16-hour darkness. The thermometer will dip below -35 C. You might get your car stuck trying to leave your driveway; that is if your car even starts in the first place.

Winter is coming folks, and all the whining in the world isn’t going to change that.

Leo is a former Advocate editor. Contact him by email at newsdeadline@gmail.com or follow him on Twitter at www.twitter.com/LeoPare