Who doesn’t love a week of warm weather in January? This week’s rising thermometer, blue skies and bright sun helped thaw our bones and lift our spirits after the first long cold snap of the winter. 2020 not only ushered in a new decade, but a ferocious blast of winter freeze. For most of January, across the country, social and print media, we uttered a collective groan as we shovelled our driveways, turned up our thermostats, dragged out the -30 and below winter gear and hunkered down for the cold snap. During every one of these brutal winter freezes, I am reminded not only of the resilience of our northern spirit but the warmth of our hearts, and in the case of Newfoundland’s Snowmageddon, how a sense of humour can turn lemons into lemon margaritas from the tiki bar built into the snowdrift filling the front door.
In the midst of all the inconveniences and distresses of extreme cold weather there are countless stories of good people going out of their way to help others. For me, it was my Vice- Principal Melissa and her husband Tyler who saved the day when my car battery froze. First, Tyler boosted my car, and then when it wouldn’t start again the next day, took the battery out, scrubbed out all the built up corrosion (which was the culprit) warmed and charged the battery and then put it back in. That saved me a lot of cash and a lot of grief! Plus, Melissa gave me rides to and from school until my car was all ready to go. They wanted no thanks, but I am forever in their debt!
My good friend Tammy told me about a similar story. She and her daughter had a flat tire on the side of the highway (on an already difficult day as they were taking their deceased cat home from the vet to bury on their farm). It was - 45 and they were quickly freezing as they waited for roadside assistance. A young man stopped, and in the sub zero weather, with the semis flying by, and (being told to ignore the frozen dead cat in the box as he looked for the spare tire and tools in the back of the jeep), changed the tire and saved their day. How amazing!
So this week, as the cold snap breaks, and our memory of the bone-chilling weeks before fades a little, our memory of those acts of kindness does not. Though we know the thermometer will dip again many times before this winter is over, we just have to bask in this mini-spring and the glow of the warm hearts of our fellow Canadians.
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