“Winter is coming.”

That’s an ode to all my fellow Game of Thrones fans out there.

However, I don’t want it to come — kind of.

My favorite season of the year is summer. I love what summer entails — nice weather (most days), summer blockbusters and vacation, among other things.

The fall and winter, on the other hand, bring forth short days and long nights and appendage numbness from the cold, not to mention the time change throwing yet another wrench into my sleeping schedule.

However, during that time both football and basketball return to television. Also, Thanksgiving and Christmas are just around the corner.

I find it ironic how during the colder seasons there seems to be greater “warmth” at home. For obvious reasons, the heater is typically on. But also, it seems my family tends to draw closer during the colder seasons.

Thanksgiving and Christmas call for times to break bread with family members I rarely get to see due to varying work schedules during the summer. We share stories with one another that have been told hundreds of times, but we still laugh until our stomachs and cheeks ache.

Despite the time I spend with my family, I am not an advocate for the cold.

Starting in the mornings, I am warm and snug under my comforter only to be woken up by my screaming alarm. After shutting my alarm off, I’m already bracing my body for the subzero temperatures waiting on the other side of my bed sheets.

After convincing myself to face my impending doom, I fling the sheets off and rush to the bathroom. The next challenge — the toilet seat.

Eventually, I step into the frozen tundra. After three minutes outside, my once moisturized lips, hands and legs now resemble elephant skin.

I won’t take you through my other perils of the day, but if I haven’t reiterated it enough, I despise the cold. But, I do appreciate what the colder seasons provide on an entertainment and relational level.