​Whether the weather is cold or it’s warm,
whether there’s sunshine or threats of a storm,
whether dark clouds or blue skies are the norm,
weather cannot be our god.

Whether you’re living with hope or with fear,
whether your vision is blurry or clear,
whether your kids prompt a smile or a tear,
you cannot do life on your own.

Whether your passion is work or it’s play,
whether the future seems sunny or gray,
whether the world is all wrong or okay,
you cannot but choose how you’ll live.

*This poem is based on a poem my Norwegian cousin Bjarne Birkeland shared with me in Norway in 2001.

“Whether the weather is cold or whether the weather is hot
we’ll weather the weather whatever the weather whether we like it or not.”

I’m thinking of my Norwegian family today. After all, today is May 17th (Syttende Mai) Norwegian Constitution Day.