School Cancelled (01/23/2026)

Today, across many areas there is no school because of the cold front moving across our nation’s midsection. In Wisconsin it is because of the frigid temperatures and wind chills predicted and south of us it is in anticipation of the snow and ice storms. The children were elated last evening as the news broke on the different tv channels, but the adults weren’t quite so happy. Life is like that often; we don’t all experience the same thing on the same day from the same event.

This morning, children are sleeping in with the gift of “no school.” Some parents are scrambling to find daycare for their younger children because they still have work they need to go to even if their children have the day off. Dairy farmers in the area are struggling with the impact of the extreme cold on their animals, on their facilities, on their machinery, and on them. Over the road truckers driving on diesel fuel are on high alert watching, knowing the low temps cause their fuel to gel, clog fuel lines and filters. Amazon delivery and the USPS deliverers aren’t celebrating the absence of school buses for sure. And then there are the homeless.

When days like this strike, we tend to all be aware and watch out for the impact on others. But days like this should also remind us to be more attentive every day because even on the best days, not everyone is elated, not everyone is okay. Even on the best of days, there are those around us who are struggling.

I mentioned this to my faith formation class on Wednesday when we were speaking of being more present to the LORD and to others. I mentioned encountering a woman in the grocery store who was behaving oddly, standing for long periods of time just starring, not responding when spoken to, wearing only a sweatshirt on a frigid day with no outer coat or hat or gloves. I asked what they would have thought. One student suggested the woman may be suffering from dementia. One student suggested the woman may be homeless. I didn’t know the answer, but I knew that she was struggling.

While we may all be given the same “day”, we don’t all live it the same way. Some will find their day fun, others frantic, still others challenging. While some will rejoice, others will struggle. On our journeys, we are called to walk with our LORD, follow in His footsteps, and encounter others along the way. We are called to share in their joy and help shoulder their pain. But in order to do that, we can’t just live in our bubble, we must be able to see around us what the other is experiencing and needing in the moment.

Until tomorrow, let us all love well.