Getting Cold Feet

Autumn has come quickly to the Atlanta area.  We went from temperatures in the upper 70’s and low 80’s to low 40’s seemingly overnight.  And I’m getting cold feet – literally!  Several weeks ago, I quit wearing sandals and flip-flops, opting for Mary Jane sneakers and ballerina flats instead.  Yesterday, even that wasn’t enough.  My feet ached with the cold – and you could feel it through the sneakers if you put your hand on my foot.  So today, I’m in my winter boots.  My feet are still cold, but not the bone-chilling cold of yesterday.

Fall has always been my favorite season of the year.  I love the beautiful autumnal colors (and wish so badly that I was in New England or the mountains of Virginia right now.)  I love the cooler weather.  I love fall activities – hayrides and dressing up for Halloween and visits to the pumpkin patch.  I love the seasonal treats – apple cider, pumpkin pie, and chili.  And mostly, I love that the arrival of autumn means that the Christmas holidays are not far behind! 

I still love fall!  But I know that I need to get out my heavy sweaters right now – so that I can dress in layers.  I need to be smart about carrying a heavy sweater, jacket, or hoodie with me.  These are not my favorite things in the world to do – but they are part of my life right now.  So, I will continue to do them.

“Getting cold feet” often has another connotation – especially used when someone is backing out of a decision, like marriage.  My cold feet are very literal – and not at all used in this way.  I’m totally committed to this journey – cold feet and all!

I think it is a good thing that we don’t always know the total picture when we decide on a course of action.  If I had known all of Dave’s faults, or how grumpy he gets when he is sick, I might have had second thoughts before agreeing to spend the rest of my life with him.  If he had known about all of the surgeries and major illnesses I would have or that I am such a total slob – I KNOW he would have had second thoughts.  If I had known about being so cold so much of the time, I would have hesitated before my surgery.  I probably would have opted to have the surgery anyway, but I do get tired of being cold.