Among the many things that I have learned through my faith and fitness practices is that they have a way of bringing joy into our lives.

I was reminded of this during a daily dog-walk with Caleb on a recent morning.

It was the middle of February, a time of year when “cabin fever” is often at its peak here in the upper Midwest. For even the hardiest of souls, the frigid winter weather around these parts forces us to spend more of our time cooped up indoors, which can often lead to our mood level dropping and our anxiety level spiking.

This February was especially challenging in that it brought a record 2-week cold spell during which even the daily “high” was below zero.

The fact that this cold spell came during the middle of a pandemic that also has been forcing us to stay cooped up at home for much of the time only heightened the feeling of cabin fever.  It’s no wonder that my spirits were in a bit of a deep freeze when Caleb and I headed out the door for our walk on this particular February morning. After all, it was 22 degrees below zero!

I’m glad we ventured out, because it raised my spirits to see Caleb complete our entire walk in that kind of cold. It especially made me smile to see him playfully roll on his back in the snow about halfway through our walk.

Our morning romp continued once we got back inside, as Caleb did something that he only does every month or so—he played fetch with his football.

It was the perfect cure for cabin fever, as there are few things that give me more joy than playing fetch. Especially when it’s after a walk in freezing cold with a herding dog who sometimes thinks he’s a retriever!