Mama Diaries

Wednesday, February 3, 2016

Groundhog Blues and Question of the Month

Yesterday was Groundhog Day - the day the furry varmint comes out of his hole in the ground and determines if spring is coming soon, just by looking for his shadow. I've never really understood what the big deal is about this, but it seems to be a well-loved tradition.

When my son came home from school yesterday, he told me a sad thing happened.

"What was it?" I asked.

"They told us in school that the groundhog saw his shadow and that spring would be here soon."

I wrinkled my brows. "What's so sad about that?"

"It's a myth. It's sad that they keep spreading this silly story. When people find out it's not true, they're going to be sad. And then all the people who paid a lot of money to see the groundhog are going to be mad. It's a rip-off!"

Okay. So what do you think? Is Bubba right? Are people going to be upset when they learn the ground hog really can't predict when Spring is coming?  Or should we just uphold the Groundhog Day tradition?


Before I go, it's time for the question of the month, hosted by Michael D'Agostino.  This month's question, in time for Valentine's Day, is about love lost and found. I'm supposed to share a story about love I may have lost, or love I found.



Well, that's all a personal nature, and I really don't feel like sharing that. So, I'm going to tell you a story about someone else's love lost and found. I read this in a Chicken Soup for the Soul book, and thought it was the sweetest thing ever. And since I have a romantic heart, I'm going to share it for Valentines Day:

Winona was 19 when she met Edward. He was visiting his sister who was engaged to Winona's brother. They had a great chemistry, but unfortunately did not live near each other. It was agreed that they would write letters to keep in touch. (These were the days before the Internet.)

The correspondence lasted for many months. Then the letters from Edward stopped coming. Winona assumed Edward had lost interest.

Many years later, she married another man and had a family. She learned through her sister-in-law that Edward married a couple years after her.

Eventually, one of Edwards daughters had a wedding. Winona was also invited to the wedding. After 30 years, Edward and Winona were meeting again. The chemistry was still there, but the conversation was polite.

Ten years later, Edward's wife died. Winona sent him a sympathy card. Two years after that, Winona's husband died. Edward wrote to her. Once again, they were corresponding.

Edward wrote often. After six months of writing, he came to visit for two weeks. And then do you know what happened? He asked her to marry him!

She said, "yes."  They got married and lived happily ever after.

In case you're wondering what happened with the original letter-writing, Edward's mother had destroyed Winona's letters because she didn't want to lose her youngest son. Forty-three years later, Winona found him.

Isn't that sweet?   
   

52 comments:

  1. Long time to wait for someone.
    The groundhog thing isn't real? I want my money back...

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    1. That was a very long time to wait for someone. I'm so glad they found each other, again!

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  2. It always seems that winter lasts longer up north than what the groundhog preficts. Fortunately I live in Florida, so spring coming soon is true in my case.

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    1. I know all about Spring not coming fast enough!

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  3. That's a sweet story, true love can't be stopped ♡

    As for the ground hog myth... most people probably know it's just for fun... I sure wouldn't pay money ;-)

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    1. I had no idea they had to pay to see the groundhog.

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  4. That is a long while indeed, but good they found one another.

    Only good thing groundhog day ever gave us was the movie.

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  5. I want to know who pays money to see a ground hog, I might have a bridge to sell to them.

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    1. I have a few things I might want to sell them, too!

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  6. That is awe full. why would a mother not let her son be loved by a girl. anyway they met again and that is beautiful.

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    1. I don't understand some people. But I'm so glad they ended up together in the end.

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  7. I've never understood the whole shadow thing. Shouldn't a groundhog who saw his shadow be predicting an early spring? It seems backwards to me.

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    1. You would think that the sun being out would mean an early spring. I don't understand it, either.

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  8. I think the groundhog tradition- like other customs such as the tooth fairy, the Easter Bunny- gives us something to look forward to.

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  9. The groundhog thing is a fake? Call me disillusioned!

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  10. My little guy watching the groundhog on TV the other morning this year and he was excited when he learned they would be an early spring. I didn't tell him that the rodents are only accurate 37% of the time! It's funny how superstitious everyone still is even in the age of modern technology.

    Sweet story!

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    1. My kids used to buy into the groundhog thing, too.

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  11. That's a sweet story for sure. Just right for Valentine's Day. About the ground hog,I think he's cute. The one in CT is named Chuckles. I think people treat the groundhog like the weatherman, which makes me smile. If we like what he says, we give him all kinds of credit. If not, we wonder how he keeps his job!

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    1. Haha! Yes. The groundhog is a lot like the weathermen.

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  12. God kept her from having an awful mother-in-law. I can't possibly imagine what the other wife may have went through. Bittersweet.

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  13. God kept her from having an awful mother-in-law. I can't possibly imagine what the other wife may have went through. Bittersweet.

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  14. I thought he didn't see his shadow this year:) Oh well. That story is crazy though, I would've gone ballistic on the mother. Maybe that's just me:) Thanks for stopping by Misha's blog today!:)

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    1. Hi Mark. Thanks for stopping by. Like Shelly said, it was probably a blessing not to have a mother-in-law like that. Although, since the guy eventually got married, maybe the mother changed a bit.

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  15. Just for fun we might as well keep the groundhog...next to the Easter bunny, tooth fairy, Santa and all the rest.

    Sweet story! But naughty mother!

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  16. That is sweet. I never believed in Groundhog Day. I just looked it up and the statistics for it aren't good.

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    1. Groundhogs are only right 30% of the time. That's not good at all!

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  17. Gosh, what a touching romance! What's yours is yours, I guess...... xoxo

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  18. If people can handle the truth about Santa and the tooth fairy, they can also probably handle learning the true extent of a groundhog's spring-predicting abilities! :P

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    1. Yes. You're right. But people sure like believing in these things.

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  19. A wonderful story.
    It was meant to happen...they just didn't know when.

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  20. What a lovely story. As for the groundhog, he's about as accurate as the weather forecasters we have here, so... I've got no complaints.

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    1. The groundhog has to figure out a new way to predict the arrival of spring.

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  21. A bit like finding out 'you know who' doesn't exist, I can well imagine those who may be disappointed to find out about the Groundhog. For me, a lovely story. A bit like our St Swithin who it is said if it rains on 'his' day (the 15th of July) means we will have rain for the next 40 days.

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    1. That would be a lot of rain. Hopefully it doesn't rain often on St. Swithin's day.

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  22. First Santa and now the groundhog. What next? I'm with Bubba. Very discouraging.

    Loved the sweet story ending.

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