94 Degrees and Still Winter | Central Valley Americana

Learning to live in what does not always make sense

by Jana N. Yost

Today it was 94 degrees, and it is technically still winter, with spring taking place in just a couple of days. If you are reading this and living in the Central Valley, this weather makes sense. If you are living in Wisconsin or the East Coast, this weather does not make sense. That is how it is here. The weather is unpredictable and has a life of its own. The seasons do not always line up the way they are supposed to, but because we live here, there is an understanding.

This is part of Central Valley Americana.

It is learning to live in what does not always make sense, but still moving forward in it.

There are seasons around you when life does not make sense. Things shift, people change, and situations unfold in ways you did not plan, work for, or dream of. It can feel unpredictable, like everything around you has a life of its own. What do you do when life is not going the way you planned? How do you pivot and change directions, while also mourning the disappointment that comes with it? That is the tension. You are asked to move forward while also acknowledging what did not happen. There is a loss in that. Not always visible, but real.

You cannot skip over that part. You have to let yourself feel it. But you also cannot stay there. At some point, you make a decision to pivot, to adjust, and to keep going, even if it looks different than you imagined. You do not have to figure everything out, but you do have to stay steady. Stay grounded in what you know, take care of what is yours to carry, and keep moving forward, even if it is one small step at a time.

Leaders are human beings. Women are human beings. Children are human beings. Pastors are human beings. Parents are human beings. Service families are human beings.

We forget that.

We place expectations on people as if their role removes their humanity. As if leadership means they do not get tired. As if being a parent means they always know what to do. As if being a pastor means they do not struggle. As if service families are built to carry more without feeling it.

But they are still human.

I do not understand writing about a place that you have not been or lived. You can write about an experience of it or factual information on the demographics, culture, or voice of another, but that is different than knowing it. I do not understand trying to tell someone about their home when you did not grow up there or live in it. Some things are learned by being in it. By living it. By carrying the memories that come with it.

Life is the same way. You cannot fully understand someone else’s season from the outside. You can support it and respect it, but you do not define it for them. And when your own life does not go as planned, you learn that firsthand. You stop trying to control the full picture and start focusing on what is right in front of you. You carry the disappointment honestly, and you still choose to move forward.

Because just like the weather here, it may not always make sense.

But you learn how to live in it.

— Jana N. Yost