Remember when you were a kid and snow was in the forecast? I sure do. I remember how excited I would get. I'd be up and down all night long, peeking...hoping and wishing for enough snow to cancel school. In the town that I grew up in, it didn't take much, just a few flakes and some well placed slipperiness on the roads, and BINGO....snow day!! I remember I would wake up a little early and lay in bed waiting for the school closure/delay announcements. How exciting it was when the good news came that school was cancelled for the day! By then I would be too charged up to go back to sleep unless I had truly been up most of the night, then I would roll over underneath those warm covers and sleep a while longer. Those were the days.
When I graduated from nursing school I stayed on in Winchester (VA) and worked at the hospital. Our winters there were very snowy. My senior year in nursing school we got back to back storms over Christmas break and ended up with almost 3 feet of snow before it was all done. I was lucky that year. I didn't have to go to work, but I heard that the National Guard post soldiers went around and picked up nurses and physicians in Hummers so they could get to their patients at the hospital. My first winter working I remember it being particularly snowy. Lucky me, I owned a Jeep wrangler with 4 wheel drive. No snow days for me. I remember driving to work one snowy morning, listening to the school closure announcements (which still make me smile for the kids who are off). School had been cancelled for the day, and I remember thinking, "the kids in this town have no idea how lucky they are..." I get to go to work. Sigh, the plight of a responsible adult.
Yesterday here in Portland, we had a little snow. I woke up early, took the dog out, and it had just started falling. I went in and made coffee and curled up in my favorite chair. I opened the curtains and blinds, and just savored the view. It was just beautiful. I had a fire in the fireplace and was all tucked in just enjoying some quiet time watching the beauty before me. Almost two hours later it was finished for the first round. Then while watching football it started again, this time the flakes were HUGE and fluffy. In about 20 minutes or so the ground was covered and the winter wonderland was back. This time my daughter dashed out the door to enjoy it, but as quickly as it came it was gone. Then this morning...the ground was covered again. No satisfaction though, the kids had the day off already.
Sometimes I long for those days from childhood. Wishing for a day to roll over for another little snooze and then playing in the snow all day and sipping cocoa afterwards. Those were certainly good times. So happy and not a care in the world. No worries of bills or getting in enough hours at work. Maybe we all need a "snow day" every now and then. Maybe the educators in our country who make such decisions have the right idea. A day to play worry free. If you have a snow day soon, throw a snow ball, build a snowman or go sledding just for fun! Who knows we might see each other. Cheers!
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