"There's always a rainbow after the storm."

While this is a quote that can be taken literally, it's also the perfect metaphor for life. When the winter weather disappeared today and was replaced with a single day of warmth and sunshine rather than clouds and snow, I realized just how much the seasons effect our emotions.

When the winter hit, it was as if the entire campus had gone into hibernation. Students would leave to go to class or to eat a meal and then return to being cooped up in their rooms. The cold weather, gloomy skies and lack of fresh air leads to a lot people being in a bad mood, especially when they have piles of schoolwork to do. When I left for class I rarely passed more than fifty students on the way.

However, today we woke up to a special day that everyone had been awaiting: the first seventy degree day since the fall semester. Not only was there a shift in the weather, but there was a shift in attitude by everyone. Instead of walking outside to a quiet and gloomy campus, I walked outside to sunshine and crowds of people sitting at picnic tables, playing basketball, and taking their time walking to class. I was amazed at how a day of sunshine and warm weather could put everyone, including myself, in such a good mood.

This can simply be considered a metaphor to get you through life as well. The winter weather is inevitable just like going through rough patches are inevitable. However, a day of sunshine is all it takes to show you that the winter (just like your rough patches) don't last forever. Although you may be facing a tough time, something good is just around the corner.

Without the bitter cold of winter, we wouldn't be able to appreciate the warm sunlight of summer. Similar to this, without facing hardships in life we wouldn't be able to appreciate all the great moments that we are provided with.

Whether it's the weather that has you down, a literal tough time, or even both, just know that preserving through will get you to the good times and the sunshine on the other side. Everything happens for a reason, so it's important to sit back and ask yourself why you're having a tough time and what you can do to improve yourself. Ask yourself why you may be facing this hardship and instead of being beaten down by it, find the good in it. Find what that hardship taught you and how it contributed to the good that came afterwards.

While this day doesn't mean that winter is over, it does give us hope for the spring and the warm weather to come. Sometimes you can feel like bad things are constantly happening to you, but it's those brief moments of happiness that remind you to remain determined until you reach a good place in life. You can make it through the winter, find your summertime.