It snowed . . . again.

It seems to snow every single week. And not just a light dusting, but 2+ inches every time. And it can never just snow, there has to be ice and lots of wind to go with it every time. If I were a teacher, my lesson plans would have been out the window 2 months ago! It's getting dreary to have to bundle up so tightly just to go outside to get the mail and waddle like a penguin for fear of slipping on the constant layer of ice that covers the parking lots. I would hate to have to do snow removal. It would feel like the ultimate Sisyphusian Challenge! (Sisyphus is a man of a Greek legend. He is said to have been punished by the gods and condemned to spend the rest of his life pushing a boulder up a mountain, only to watch it roll down and do it all over again.)

As much as the snow is starting to get on my nerves, there are times that I feel the little child within me bubble to the surface with the hope of snow on the horizon. It's been 6 years since I've had a snow day, and still, I wait with baited breath to hear the official word on a two-hour delay or even better, cancelled! And now I get double the pleasure because I listen for my Alma Matter's delay and the local school! It's really quite exciting, even as I'm getting to go to work regardless of the snowy conditions.

This morning as I drove to work, I couldn't help but fall in love with the snow all over again. It had once again covered the earth and softened its edges. It was as if the earth itself was bubbling up with a child's joy. Bushes and shrubs were softened in the snow to look as though they were nothing more than a giant pillow to fall into. The trees glistened in the bright sunshine. The sky was big and blue and the sunshine lit it up brilliantly. Even the fields were playing along! It's as though they decided to play dress up and became the great white ocean. The drifts along the sides of the roads were waves just about to break and as the wind swept along the fields, you could see the waves gently roll in and out of the shore. If you look closely enough, the small tufts of grass in the fields turned into sea otters as they lept through the rolling waves.

I know snow can be a dangerous disaster waiting to happen, but it's also a chilly burst of joy! As a wise woman said, "I never want to be too old to play in the snow . . . life is amazing."