Snow Day

Living in the great South means that snow is fairly rare. I remember Scout seeing snow for the first time in To Kill a Mockingbird and thinking the world was ending. While it isn’t that unheard of in this part of Arkansas, it still isn’t part of our routine. Tornado warnings are routine. I would even say sleet and freezing rain are more routine even though I don’t know that for a fact.

So when it does snow, especially several inches, we find it a novelty. It is so beautiful and peaceful that first day when there is a blanket of white on everything. It looks pristine. I know, after that first day when it has been walked on, played on, driven on, and begins to melt, it loses its luster. Snow doesn’t come around often enough for the state to have all it takes to clear the roads during and right after a snowfall; it just doesn’t make sense economically. As a benefit, we get snow days when people further north would just continue about their business. We empty the stores of bread and milk even though no one knows why those two items are so valued. I’d rather buy ingredients for hearty soups and chocolate chip cookies. Schools close. People are encouraged to stay home.

For my family, that equals a day of rest, beautiful scenery, and sledding down our hill; it’s time spent together at home when we would otherwise have been apart. We layer on the clothes and then discard half of them after climbing that hill a few times. We use inner tubes, saucers, or sleds-whichever works best. We sometimes crash or roll off as we create a slick path. Even at 53, it’s fun. This year, especially on day two, the inner tube worked best, and boy was it fast. I think it’s the fastest I’ve ever gone down the hill!

A week later, the snow is gone, and I’m ready for summer. Winter is my least favorite season, and even though I love to get a big snow, one is enough. Unfortunately, we have highs in the 20s coming up this week, which is just gross. I don’t think winter is finished imposing its will on us yet.