In the depths of the winter cold, a short trip to Savannah, Georgia, was just what I needed as a jump start for spring and the assurance that it will one day be warm in Ankeny again. We stayed in the historical district of Savannah with its many parks and lavish greenery. The people of Savannah are also experiencing the Covid surge so with a high incidence of Covid and the warm weather, my husband and I opted to have dinner served outside. It was common to have tour groups pass as they heard descriptions of the history of the area and its hauntings. But this Friday night there was another group that first walked past us on the sidewalk where our table was located, but then about a half hour later returned. They were laughing and chatting with each other. It was a group of about seven young women. One had a wedding veil on her head. They were scanning the array of people dining and chose to approach our table. One of the young women announced to us that their friend Anna was getting married in one month and tonight they were seeking wisdom from married couples that could help Anna and her husband as they enter married life. 

​I have a lizard brain. So do you. The most basic, instinctive, least complicated part of the human brain owes its origins to the connection we have with lizards. The limbic brain, with its flight or fight software, is right at the stem of our brain. The mammalian brain and the frontal lobe are evolutionary advances toward greater complexity of thought and processing.  (Yes, a Christian pastor can – and I believe should – see evolution as a marvelous manifestation of divine providence and creation). Before we learned to learn tasks and do algebra, we reacted. Raw emotion rules.

​As I sit at my desk, I hear the wind blowing and see the bare branches of trees shaking as the wind directs its force upon them. There is a fresh layer of snow on the ground with patches of ice shimmering on the pavement, making me aware that caution is needed when navigating a path to the car later today. The sun is shining bright even though the wind chill is below zero. I am deeply aware that we are in the heart of winter, with more cold, more snow, more long dark evenings to come. The winter blahs have arrived!