It’s the beginning of a New Year, and what better way to start the year than by getting to know Olga a little more, especially since some of you may only know me because I started appearing as a writer on the e-columns. Even if you’ve never seen me, getting to know more about me gives a personal feel to an email or a call.
Since its winter, let me start by saying, I strongly dislike winter; I say strongly dislike because my mom says you should only hate the scary monster downstairs. We all know Washington has more than four seasons, which makes it that much harder to live here, says the one that was born and raised in Yakima, Washington, and swears she’s never leaving the Pacific Northwest. Unfortunately, with Washington’s weather, winter can give us either a winter wonderland or Antarctica, there’s no in-between. I love the snow but from afar.
I’m also not a fan of summer; the feeling of being sticky from sweat is not my cup of tea nor a great feeling, since Yakima is hot and humid. Fall and spring make me the happiest. Fall is cardigan weather and means Halloween is around the corner. You can smell the crisp winds in the morning, the pumpkin spice coffee when you walk into a coffee shop and candy corn.
Spring has amazing colors with the flowers that smell amazing as well as the rain we get sometimes. The smell of wet dirt makes me want to snuggle on my couch with a blanket and drink a nice cup of coffee or hot chocolate. There are many reasons why I love fall and spring and dislike winter and summer.
Let me give you one of my traumatizing winter memories that make me just say nope when I think of winter. This occurred in early 2000 when we had a very bad winter with a lot of snow; many may remember this year because tons of snow fell in one day. Well, the weekend after was the day of my first communion – a special celebration for many Catholics. To clarify, on this day generally, you wear all white.
I was around 6 or 7 years old and the clumsiest child you could’ve ever met, tripping over my own feet at times. My mom got me ready, fluffed my curls a little extra than usual and made sure everything looked spectacular for this day. Keep in mind, we were trying to leave as early as possible because, for one, we lived about 30 minutes away; two, the snow wasn’t fully cleared; and three, we wanted to make sure we got a good spot, so we were leaving about two hours early.
We were getting ready to leave, and my mom was prepping the rest of my siblings so we could go. As she was doing that, she looked at me and clearly stated, “Please try not to get dirty.” As soon as I stepped outside to get into the car, I slipped on ice and fell. Not only did I get dirty, but my two front teeth decided they would fall out as well. So imagine my dress with not just dirt but blood. All I could do was walk back in and cry to my mom.
Luckily, she thought quick and threw my dress in the washer, and I had to wear it kind of wet. To top it off, my Christmas song for school was “All I Want for Christmas is My Two Front Teeth.”
I really wanted my two front teeth back, and eventually, my adult teeth came in, but I was the laughingstock of many for a while. My sisters still tease me about this when Christmas comes around, but I am very careful now, even if it means crawling over the ice. I avoid going out if I can.
In the spirit of safeguarding your well-being, consider taking advantage of the preventative services available through your health plan. Whether it’s scheduling regular check-ups, exploring wellness programs, or staying informed about available resources, prioritizing your health is a year-round commitment.
If you’d like to delve deeper into health and wellness topics or schedule a Health Alliance presentation, please don’t hesitate to reach out to your local community liaison. Your health is an invaluable asset, and proactive measures can ensure you enjoy each season without any unexpected slips along the way. Stay safe, stay healthy, and embrace the warmth of well-being this winter.
Olga Hernandez of Yakima, WA, is a community liaison for Health Alliance Northwest, serving Yakima County. Born and raised in the Yakima Valley, she enjoys fishing alongside her husband and three wonderful children as well as traveling to at least one new place every year. Like this article? Let us know by responding to [email protected]. Thanks for reading!