I don’t like winter. I don’t enjoy being cold. I don’t like wearing socks or really any other kind of footwear other than my Birkenstocks. I don’t like winter clothes as I’d just rather be in shorts and tank tops. I do, however, love (and I mean LOVE) a snow day.
A snow day here in East Tennessee isn’t just a snow day.
Over the years, we’ve gotten our hopes up more times than we can count. We’d go to bed dreaming of the forecasted “1-3 inches” only to be greatly disappointed in the morning with “the dusting” that the Tennessee valley received. Onto your regularly scheduled winter routine, folks. BLAH.
So, when we get a snow day, a real snow day, it is truly magical because of all the things that these days bring with them.
It’s the universe’s way of forcing us to slow down, forcing us to have fun with our kids, and forcing us to be kids ourselves. Why is that? Because as the snow comes in, our expectations leave. Our routine of constant rushing just comes to a halt. Activities are canceled, jobs transition to work from home, all meals are made at home, bedtimes vary, naps happen whenever, and wearing anything other than pajamas is optional. Making homemade chocolate chip cookies at 9pm just isn’t a big deal because no one has to be up at a certain time the next morning. Hot chocolate at midnight? Add extra marshmallows.
And don’t forget about snow nights. What’s so magical about a snow night? Nothing. The nothing you hear, the nothing you have to do, the nothing you see but stillness and glittering white. When else can you not hear the sound of a car for hours? When may you see only two people in an hour, but you only know they are there because you see their breath in the air. The world goes silent and still in a way that only happens on a snow day.
So, as you manage the inconveniences, the cold, the wet clothes, the taking off and putting on of all the snow gear, look at the faces of those around you. Look at their rosy cheeks, their snot-smeared faces, and their eyes dancing with joy and steal some of that joy for yourself. It’s your snow day too. Let your kids see you squeal on the sled, run through the snow, and take part in the magic around you.
