Friends,

Last month, I celebrated my 75th birthday.  Between the emails, phone calls, and Facebook posts, I was overwhelmed with all the birthday wishes.  Thank you for your thoughtful and kind comments.  It made turning 75 so much easier.  Well, sort of.

This milestone birthday sparked an idea in the literary part of my brain, and I thought I’d have some fun in sharing with you the reasons I like February.  I previously shared this via email last month, but received such a positive response that I thought I’d include it as one of my blog posts.

Enjoy,

Buddy Mc

Reasons I Like February

Let’s face it, of all the twelve months of the year, February might be the least exciting.  It is in the dead of winter.  There are no more college or pro football games.  Major League Baseball has yet to start.  And did I mention, it is COLD! It’s the hardest month to pronounce (much less spell.) I’m guessing here, but I bet the person who put the first R in February also put the D in Wednesday. 

Still, this second month of the year has its own cachet of qualities that suggest it might very well be the most unusual month of the year.

Here are my 8 reasons to enjoy February!

1. Super Bowl Sunday. Granted, this is the last football game for a while, but it’s the BIG one. And if the game isn’t spectacular, the commercials alone are worth watching. If nothing else, you learn which companies are foolish enough to pay zillions of dollars for a 30-second ad.
2. Valentine’s Day. This should be obvious, but men still need the yearly reminder that expressing love is a masculine act. Not just once a year but every day!
3. Occasional snow. Here in the Deep South, snow doesn’t happen every year. Ice storms, maybe, but a good snowy day is so rare in Georgia that it’s always celebrated.
4. Cold enough to cozy up and cuddle. Even here in the Southland, temperatures can drop below freezing, prompting the crackle of fireplaces, a cup of hot chocolate, and the joy of snuggling with loved ones.
5. Days are getting longer. My wife does a happy dance when she sees her tiny Snow Drops bloom, announcing that Spring is approaching.  But for me, the first sign of Spring is the sun lingering a little longer at the end of each day. Late tee times are now possible!
6. It is the only month with fewer than 30 days. Or, as one pundit said, “February is the month we celebrate the three days when men are always right, and women are always wrong. That would be the 29th, 30th, and 31st of February.”
7. The weather still fluctuates. Two weeks ago, I wore four layers of clothing and used my battery-operated hand warmers to get through 18 holes of golf without freezing. Last week, I wore shorts.
8. It’s my birthday month. This diatribe about February is my humorous way of thanking everyone for their birthday wishes. I love February because it reminds me that I was born for a purpose and that life is a generous gift. Thank you, family and friends, and thank you, Lord, for the blessings you bring into my life. Amen!

OK, maybe February is not such a boring month after all!