By Melissa Proulx
It was only after I extracted my shoe from the mud and finished spewing out my choice curse words that it hit me: We’ve made it.
We’ve made it through this out of control winter and we can almost see the other side. Though we might not be in the clear just yet, we do have the tell-tale signs of victory: there’s mud, birds, squirrels, sunshine, and the underlying feeling of hope and relief has replaced our despair.
This winter has been one for the history books, but I’m sure that you don’t need me to tell you that. Since the beginning of the year, the town of Durham has received more than 80 inches of snow according to an update by Town Administrator Todd Selig on Feb. 20.
Snow banks have risen and tried to reclaim the land, but we stood taller. This comes from our unwavering spirit that can’t be broken and the fact many of us have had to climb over them to get anywhere.
But time and time we have been able to dig ourselves out and carried on as best we’ve could. We have shown Mother Nature just what it means to be New Englanders and just how capable we are.
Along with those billowing banks, we’ve managed to survive some of the coldest weather as well. Selig said that the word from the capital was that temperatures for February hadn’t gone above freezing since Feb. 10. He also added that the average temperature has sat around 11 degrees.
So adios to all those times my tears froze to my face as I walked through bone-chilling winds and questioned my choice of where to live. It’s been balmy this past week and I’ve managed to wear short sleeves without catching frostbite through my coat.
I might just be speaking for myself when I say that each storm felt like a huge chunk of time was taken away from my life. I had begun to think I would never see my family again and wondered if there had been a chance I was developing scurvy.
So I’m making up for lost time. I’m talking to strangers, I’m trying new foods, and I’m even making more attempts to actually go outside.
Spring is officially just days away at this point — eight, in fact. Let us go forth and prosper. Let us remember the lesson we’ve learned from the snow and how we’ve ultimately become better people because of this.
But also, let us all collectively knock on wood just so we can play it safe. Because let us remember, Mother Nature might not be in the mood to do us favors and you don’t want to mess with chance.
Melissa Proulx is a TNH staff writer. Follow Melissa on Twitter @_mcproulx.