Chinooks

The rain is relentless today, it's chilly-down-to-your-bones and has one begging the answer to the obvious question, yo! What have you weather guys done with summer? I could do with summer right now.
I remember winters in Southern Alberta, now that was cold! In January and February the thermometer would do a death spiral down to -45 degrees, something an African like me should never have to negotiate.
The glorious thing about being so far South is from time to time, the Chinook winds would blast down the mountainside, warming up the frigid landscape, the snow would melt and for a few days it would feel like Spring. A ceasefire from the otherwise brutal onslaught of mother nature.
Last night a Chinook from goodness-knows-which mountain blew some happy gusts into my kitchen. I was making supper tra-la-la, listening to the radio, kids were milling about snitching their favourite treasures from the salad I had just completed, when my 11 year old grabbed me by the arm and started dancing with me. I noted he hadn't a clue what to do, another thing I hadn't  taught him! Instantly the kitchen floor became a dance studio and M was learning the ropes of leading out confidently. When he first leads a girl onto the dance floor I won't have him shuffling more or less in one spot, if he could lead a buxom 42 year old like me around the kitchen floor - he'll sweep that girl off his feet! I taught him to lead ( well sortof, it was more of a theory lesson...) Two more of my kids joined the weaving and swaying mass of happy hearts and out of step feet, when the dog, leaped up and joined the human dance bundle.Laughter, music, happy hearts intertwined ,the silver lining of parenthood .A fleeting Chinook, a moment suspended , a lifeline to hold onto when sunny moments leave and must predictably give way to the bitter.
Theres a season for everything and right now I'm mourning the way things were, a process of letting go of how I wanted things to be, rolling up the plans of how I thought my life would be and staring into the blizzard of the future. Even in Southern Alberta, winter eventually gives way to summer. As they are inclined to say over there, "Summer is the best day of the year!" There's a whole lot of winter livin'to be done till summer rolls round , but for the time being, I'll be grateful for the Chinooks that come unannounced and for but a brief moment ,banish the chill.