It snowed quite a bit yesterday. I think I heard that we got more snow yesterday than we have in any other 1-day period this season. It was beautiful yesterday morning - when I woke up and looked outside, big giant snowflakes falling down.... very pretty.
Santa Claus had brought my daughter a big, giant sled this year for Christmas. Bless her heart, she hadn't had an opportunity to use it this year...until yesterday. After her basketball game, it was all she talked about on the way home - she was practically quivering in excitement at the prospect of getting that sled out and heading over to Chipman & Douglas, our local favorite sledding hangout. So, DH and DD got all bundled up and headed over - with hundreds of other kids - to "fly" down the hill.
The "Hill" at Chipman & Douglas in Lee's Summit
When I was a little girl, I loved the snow. It meant sledding down our driveway, and it meant building snowmen, and it meant creating snow angels in the yard. I also loved to make snow ice cream. With raw eggs. Yum. (Just the thought of that now makes me queasy.) Snow also meant the likely possibility of school being cancelled - there is no greater joy than being a kid and hearing that school is cancelled for the day due to "inclement" weather - whatever the heck that meant.... I just knew it meant sleeping in, and then heading outside to explore the possibilities of fun in a white winter wonderland.
Now, as an adult - I guess I've changed. I tried to find the joy in yesterday's snow - I really did. I did appreciate the beauty of it. But...I couldn't help but cringe as we were driving, seeing numerous cars skidding off the road. According to our news this morning, we had over 175 accidents yesterday - NOT the typical Saturday morning around here. I kept praying, as we were going back and forth to basketball, that we wouldn't become one of those statistics.
And then today - it was my turn to drive the church shuttle bus...which meant driving in some slick parking lots. I was praying again - hoping that cars wouldn't slide into me, or vice versa.
And walking in snow? Ugh. DH and I went to Yellowstone a few years back for a snowmobile trip - the first day of the 2-day adventure was AWESOME - one of the 10 best experiences in my life. It was cold, for sure - but the scenery, the wildlife that we saw - all the while zooming around on a zippy snowmobile - was beyond beautiful. However, on day #2, a light snow began falling...and I made the mistake of climbing off my snowmobile, and slipping on some black ice - hidden by the light layer of snow. Down I went - snap, snap, snap. I knew it before I saw it - that I had broken my arm. In three places. That was the end of the snowmobile trip. The rest of our time was spent in a hospital in Idaho. Not so fun.
So, when I walk on snow now, I am understandably a little hesitant and nervous. Too many memories of pain, a cast, and weeks of painful physical therapy.
But, I will look at the joyful...the positive...the beauty of God's world around me...and appreciate the snow and all of the potential fun that it brings. I will look at it as the little girl that is still inside of me sees it - the possibility of sledding, of snow angels, and maybe - just maybe - no school. Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow.
Peace.
A close up of yesterday's snow - to show how deep it was
No comments:
Post a Comment