None of my grandchildren …

have school today.

Which would be no big deal if they all lived in the same place. But their homes stretch from the Nashville, TN, metropolitan area to the Triangle in NC. We are all (including southern West Virginia) enjoying(?!?!?) yet another Winter Storm Warning or Watch or Advisory or Special Weather Statement.

Yesterday was lovely but cold. Lovely enough that the sun lured us outdoors for a walk. Cold enough that we made it a minimum-distance trek on Indian Creek. But: Four more miles added to this month's total; I'm up to 52 for the month now. I need to average 4.3 miles per day, every day, for the rest of the year, to hit 1500 miles.

Which sounds rather daunting when it's 20° and we're expecting another half a foot of snow.

Winter doesn't last forever, though.

It only seems like it.

Last night was my volunteer gig at the prison. Take a guess as to what the best part of prison is … if you picked the inmates, you would be right. The women who come to our Tuesday evening meeting are thoughtful, determined, empathetic, helpful and unfailingly positive. I have NO ROOM to complain about anything when I compare my tidy little life to the complicated challenges they face.

We were discussing how everything happens for a reason, and that you often don't know the reason until much, much later. Sometimes years later. And I said I still wasn't sure that my co-volunteer's house fire had to fall into that category. But her attitude has been incredible. For instance, she said she was concerned about her houseplants not surviving this winter weather, since she kept her house cool. Along comes a house fire … problem solved!

We were all rather tearful when she said her music group surprised her with the gift of a new viola. And bow. And chin rest. And case.

And the lesson here is to accept gifts graciously, and friendship warmly, and circumstances with humor and grace. We continually learn what we need to know to move forward in our lives. If we're open to the lesson.

So what's my lesson about gaining two more pounds? (I'm now up FIVE from mid-January.) I can only think it has something to do with dark chocolate. And bad weather. Heh.

C'mon, Spring! I'm ready!