Cloudy. Rainy. Sunny. Chilly. Windy. Hot. Humid. Frigid. Snowy.

Why do we talk so much about the weather in Chicago? Well, here the weather changes from day-to-day, hour to hour, sometimes drastically. Seasonally, we can have extreme heat or cold but typically it only lasts a few days at a time. And then we are on to something else.

We Midwesterners learn to prepare. We carry that jacket and umbrella on the sunniest days. We dress in layers. We keep our car wash tickets so that we can return for a do-over if it rains two days after it’s washed.

Everyone has their favorite time of year. We have four distinct seasons and variations in between.

Everything comes alive in the vibrant spring. Summer is accompanied with outdoor concerts, baseball, barbecues, and swimming lessons. Autumn leaves inflame with red, gold, and orange. And as much as we may complain about shoveling and driving in blizzards, a fresh, white blanket of snow and bright, crisp air is exhilarating.

This fluctuation of temperature and variations of the seasons keeps life interesting and gives us something to talk about with total strangers.

On the good days we go out and enjoy nature and our neighbors. On the cold, dreary ones we nestle in the house, sit around the TV or fireplace, and prepare home cooked meals.

There’s something for everyone. Here in the Midwest, if today is not your favorite kind of day, no problem. Tomorrow just may be.

©Mary K. Doyle