Dear current cold front,

I guess I shouldn't be that mad, because it's January and it's supposed to be cold. Winter should bring snow and my car should be frosted shut... but man, you really overdid it!

It's snowing in Florida, southern Georgia is expected to have up to 5 inches of snow piled up within the next few weeks and the high here in Atlanta is not even above freezing today. Six Flags closed early, many national parks aren't open and there are advisories to stay indoors that are so extreme, kids aren't going outside for recess. This is some serious winter -- what are we supposed to do? Winter in the south is supposed to mean 45 degrees with windchill... I've never even seen a negative number associated with a temperature.

Well, since you're here, I have a few things to say. First of all, thank you for giving us some warning. It's important that we are aware of what cold weather can do -- we need to make sure our water keeps dripping so the pipes don't freeze, that we cover up our bare skin and make sure our puppies aren't kept outside. We turn on our cars ahead of leaving so that they run more efficiently, which helps the environment, but we always check for sleeping cats seeking wind shelter before we turn on anything. We make sure the heat is always on for ourselves when we get home.

But please go easy on us. Please recognize that we are trying to dig ourselves out of other situations, like storms in Boston that have flooded our streets or wreckage left behind from the summer hurricane beatdowns. Please let our forests and our crop fields grow back. Please let us make it through your icy effects with dignity and strength, not crawling on our hands and knees back to our furnaces and fireplaces.

And finally, although it is a bit out of your expertise, please give us the humanity to help those who are cold, hungry and struggling around us. Please give us the eyes to see the problems around us and the senses to feel the wind bite down on our necks, both metaphorically and physically, and help us to empathize with those who lack blankets. Please help us to create a community for our fellow humans instead of shutting them out -- we have extra resources that we can share.

Well, enjoy your stay, I guess. We know you'll be back -- so please save some of your snow for then. In the meantime, safe travels.

A confused southerner