Nebraskan Skies

 Some days I am pretty hard on Nebraska.

After all, we were supposed to be overseas right now.  And although we've built a lovely little life here, I can't help but remember our plans to live in Europe and spend the weekends exploring new cities.

The winters here are long and cold.  The wind is fierce.  The landscape turns grey.  Grey slush on the roads.  Grey dried-up lawns.  Grey skies.

Grey. Grey. Grey.

But then a day comes when you walk outside and gaze up, mesmerized.

The sky that has been grey for so long now seems impossibly blue.  The clouds perfectly white and fluffy move along at a snail's pace.  

I crink my neck to stare up at it.  I feel small in the most wonderful way possible.  It is as if the sky threw open her arms to reveal all that she has been hiding these dull, winter months.  She is tired of the complaints and the grumbles she has been getting so she is finally going to show off what she has.

"Fine, Nebraska!"  I yell at the heavens, "I'm sorry for saying so many horrible things about you!"

The sky is big.  I am small.

I take a deep breath.  It is as if I've been half-breathing all winter long and, just now, I'm actually able to inhale properly.

The calendar told me that spring arrived some days ago.  But today the sky is telling me with much more certainly than any calendar could have: spring is here!

 

p.s. all these images actually were taken in Nebraska.  I told you!  Mesmerizing!