Above Ground

A cold, dismal rain falls over the weekend. Ice begins to form on the branches outside my windows and they turn stark and shivering. A flood watch goes into effect, flights from Dallas are grounded, travel advisories are issued.
I wake a little after midnight, hot and sleepless and annoyed. Turning down the thermostat doesn't help, in another hour I wake again. The third time, desperation takes over and I turn the heat off and wrench open a window. Cold air floods in and I crawl beneath the covers with a cat on my pillow and the small brown dog curled up against my back and finally manage to sleep. My last thought is to hell with the electric bill.

Monday morning is even worse - the house is freezing and the weather is hateful. The rain has turned to sleet and leaving the warmth of the bed takes enormous effort especially when I can feel the beginnings of a dull headache behind my eyes. But there are nine cold and hungry animals circling the bed and although I have a sinking feeling that I'm going to regret it, there's no choice but to get up and face the day.

At the kitchen sink I dole out cat and dog food and try to find a redeeming quality for the day. I'm still looking while standing under a hot shower, while changing litter boxes, while putting on makeup and when I try to coax the dogs outside. It doesn't come to me until I am driving to work on this Martin Luther King Day.

I may be cold and miserable and cursing the weather and my insomnia. But I am also still above ground.