There was a smidgen bit of snow last night. Just to add interest to the lake. Looks so pretty now, doesn’t it?

Don’t worry, on Tuesday is will be ruined. For one day, it will be warm enough for the precipitation to be rain. Then cold again. Ice on our perfect snow.

That sucks.

And all day today, because I need to clear anywhere anyone walks because – ice is coming – I spent hours shoveling. Hours that I might have been doing art.

That sucks.

Yeah, right?

Last night I was at a gathering. I was talking to Victor’s girlfriend – they’re both in law school. She told me that one thing she loved about him was that – when things were tough (as they are wont to be in law school) – his response to her was always: “that sucks”. She was telling me how good it felt to hear that versus someone telling her how to make herself better.

I first heard about “that sucks” from my daughter, Ariella, when she shared with me what she had written down to her then boyfriend to let him know what she needed to hear when she was down and out. NOT all his many ideas for how she could solve the lousy situation. What she wanted to hear was – yes – “that sucks”.

I shared this wisdom with this kind man in my life. He is beyond good at solving all kinds of issues. But emotional stuff when it hits – remedies are not always the solution. So now, when the not-great day comes along and I share all the unhappiness, he is so ready with his “that sucks”. It’s so unlike him that it totally cracks me up.

Which is why I think it works so well. It’s like a tight muscle – that crummy stuff I’m carrying. By not arguing with me, going in the same direction, the muscle has nothing to fight. Relief.

So sweet.