Dear Mother Nature,

I am writing this letter in regards to the weather in Chicago. I think you know we are a hardy lot and don’t complain about it very often. It is understood that we get the weather that no one else wants. We have freezing wind chills, bad-hair-day humidity, relentless heat and so many gray days that it makes us wonder if we will ever see the sun again.

Although we were disappointed, this wasn’t the first year we didn’t have a white Christmas. However, when we finally got our first sizable snowfall in mid-January, you only let us have it for a couple of days before you turned up the heat again. What fun is that? On the other hand, I must thank you for the five or six days we’ve had at 50 degrees in 2012. At least I got to break in the new bike I got for Christmas.

It was that fact that prompts my letter. Was it just a tease or are we not getting winter this year? I know the Groundhog said we have six more weeks of winter, but can we really trust a rodent from Pennsylvania? Did the Leap Year throw you off? Winter is the one thing we can count on in Chicago. We feel cheated, neglected and forgotten. We are waiting here, bundled up and I think you stood us up. If skipping winter this year is your plan, just let me know. I can adapt.

I think I speak for all of us by saying we are done with the idea of winter this year. Even my kids are done. When a nine-year-old doesn’t want snow, you know it’s bad. I think it is too late. You missed your window of opportunity. Every kid loves a snow day – but not in March. See, the thing is, soccer practice starts a week from tomorrow and softball season opens in April. We cancel games for a lot of weather related reasons in Chicago, but it’s not because of snow.

If you wouldn’t mind, can you just turn up the heat a little more to the springtime setting? We will just have winter another time. After all, this is the home of the Cubs. Our motto is “Wait ‘til next year!”

Sincerely,

Pam