As I sit and look out of my window at the huge white flakes falling from the sky, I can’t help but to laugh. I live in a place where snow is abundant. Usually, it begins to snow in October and the snow doesn’t stop falling until MAYBE April. I’ve seen it snow in May, June, AND JULY! Houghton, MI is a place where only the strong survive.

I recently had a few friends in my office and they could NOT believe I’ve been living in Houghton and attending Michigan Tech University since 2001. “That’s almost NINE YEARS,” they said. Yes, but I must say that these 9 snowy Winters have built character. Let me tell you why.

When it’s cold outside, your first concern isn’t “dressing cute.” Growing up in Detroit I used to take hours to get dressed for the day. My hair had to be “tight”, my outfit-flawless, shoes-let’s not even go there;) When it’s cold/snowing, you just want to be warm! No time to worry about that hair when you’re going to put on a skull cap and ear muffs! You must dress in layers, too. I find myself wearing the oddest things, but I don’t care because I’m warm!

Last night as I was driving home I saw at least two people stuck in ditches. I didn’t think twice about pulling over to help these people. In this small town atmosphere you don’t have to worry about if someone is going to rob you when you try to help them. I’ve learned to become a better neighbor thanks to the snow.

I could go on, but rather than sit and complain about how cold it is outside, I just want to give God praise for the snow. It is truly a character builder. Only the strong survive in Houghton!

This post is dedicated to all my Yoopers!
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Kari L. Brown offers mentoring to students and professionals struggling with success and maintaining a personal relationship with God. For more information visit www.karilbrown.com, follow @karilbrown on Twitter, or become a fan of the 3S Mentality on Facebook (www.facebook.com/3SMentality).