Season of Wonder

I am the first to admit it. I was a snow hater. It began in my middle school years because snow soooo got in the way of wearing cute and trendy clothes. My mom and I would battle over me wearing sandals and skirts when more weather appropriate attire would have been mukluks and a snowsuit.

The hatred towards winter weather increased in intensity when I reached my college years and was appalled to realize that there were no "snow days" on campus. Since you basically walked everywhere, there was no threat of getting into car accidents driving on freshly coated streets. You could just slip and slide your little self right into a classroom. I remember specifically one morning at UW-Eau Claire where I woke up, bundled up, (yep, you read that right, Mom) and grabbed my backpack. My roommate, still in her bed, mumbled something snarky about enjoying my walk to class. I responded to her with some self-important diatribe about being responsible for my education. I shuffled down the stairs in my dorm to the glass door that exited to the courtyard. It was pure white from the snow drifts that were imprisoning me and fairly taunting me to go back to bed. After I shoulder checked the door several times opening it only inches wide, I squashed myself though and proceeded through thigh high snow that had not been cleared from the campus sidewalks. It was at the top of the stairs (if you know UWEC you are aware the living facilities are, as a practical joke, placed on top of a giant fricking hill and the class buildings are at the bottom) when it hit me that it had taken thirty minutes to trudge about 50 yards. I said screw it and headed back to my room where my roommate was abed chuckling like a jerk.

That being said, I think you grasp how I felt about these wintery months. It wasn't until last year that my hatred began to ebb. Lily loves being outside. I mean really REALLY loves it. She will play for hours in the great wide open regardless of what the weather is like. Last winter, we bundled up and made dozens of snowmen. We got ourselves snowsuited and went sledding hundreds of times. She left yards full of snow angels and tiny boot tracks everywhere we went. Icicles were things to be marveled at. Fresh snow was something to be played in and formed into balls of varying shapes, sizes and purposes. Grades were given for best types of snow for packing, flinging and stomping. There was absolutely no stopping her. As I watched her eyes light up this year at the first glimpse of snow I began to think of how magical the world looks cloaked in white. I was amazed at how Rockwellian our little neighborhood looked this morning when I opened the curtains and realized we were snow covered.

Leave it to Lily to turn something I absolutely detested into something that fills me with the feeling of hushed awe. I snuck into our bedroom just now and held Mark's hand all the way to the front window where he sleepily peered out and smiled. His thoughts going immediately to the fun he and Lily would have outside this winter. Or maybe he was thinking about what the look on her sweet face will be when she wakes to a real snowfall. It is a heartstopper to see her reactions to these moments of magic. As you read this, I will be hoping you get your own little slice of wonder this season. Take the time to see it as I now am able to see it... a blank canvas.