Living in the northeast for all of my life, and coming up on 29 years living in upstate New York next March, you'd think I'd be used to a lot of snow, and you'd be right ... except 40.5 inches in less than 24 hours this early before we even got to the Winter Solstice is a bit much even for us! This is the view outside of my window before they got to "serious" snow removal. As I write this, five guys with snow blowers and plows on the front of the trucks are still working on getting the parking lot to my complex cleared so the giant mounds that were parked cars can be rescued, this five days after the storm hit. Last night as I went to bed around 10 pm, the sound of front-end loaders and dump trucks could be heard clearing side streets and loading up the snow to take it somewhere else. This morning we finally have some sun and I have to say, as trying a time as it's been, and likely to be for some time, the sunlight glittering off the endless vista of snow is beautiful.
It certainly seems a fitting ending to this year of upheaval and challenge, to be snowed in for several days with travel bans for most of us and the poor mail carriers, as if they didn't have enough on their shoulders (literally), trying to walk through hip-high snow drifts to deliver the mail. On the one hand, I want to say to everyone that had been praying for a white Christmas: are you happy now? On the other hand, most of us are getting really good at adapting, prioritizing, and maybe even retrieving old-fashioned ways to make this holiday the best it can be, all things considered. I can tell from the empty shelves of yarn in the craft stores that knitting needles and crochet hooks are coming out of retirement and clicking away making gifts, and cooking has become a rediscovered art form (we won't talk about the extra pounds until after New Year's, ok?). The kids, tired of being stuck in front of a screen every day because of remote learning - did you think you'd ever hear them complain about being online - were squealing with joy at the giant mounds of snow to let loose in, unleashing all that pent-up energy and frustration. When you look at it this way, maybe a snow storm is exactly what we needed. Maybe we grown-ups need to have a good old-fashioned snowball fight to let it all out and leave our pain and sorrow to melt on the ground. Yep, we definitely needed a snow storm.
It may be hard to perceive it now, but underneath all of that snow, spring is sleeping and just waiting to come forth and bring us all new life. Until then, happy snowballing, and a very, merry Christmas to you and yours.
And so it is.
P.S. Flower Bear will be on Christmas vacation next week (but the "Flower Bear's Thought For The Day" will still appear on her Facebook Fan Page). Stay safe and try not to eat too many cookies! Peace and blessings.
