Snow

I am not a winter person, I say it all the time. It isn’t true, I like big fat flakes, I like walking in them. I like winter activities, skating, sledding, snowshoes, snowman and snow angels! What I don’t like is lack of daytime, frigid temperatures, driving in dangerous conditions. I am cold and tired all through the winter. The season seems to be less tolerable. I could hibernate.

Today is a fat flake day, it is not a necessary travel day, I like it! Outside in the snow, the air seems different, like we are in another world. The sounds are different, it reminds me of a snow globe, what it might feel like to be inside one. The ground and the sky are one, you can hear better, almost cozy, perhaps that is where the phrase blanket of snow came from. I expect to see children out in it, but they seem to be scarce nowadays. The snow brings back childhood, mine, and my kids. I wonder what this current generation will feel when they are grown and see snow, will it just blend in with all the other days. As you age, memories are windows into other times and places, I hope that kids are making memories that stand out. An internet generation is being created and I worry the real experiences are being put aside for cyber ones. Hopefully most families have a good balance between the two.

Times have changed and time is valuable. Everyone is busy with their stuff. Sometimes keeping kids in and engaged in activities is more productive than, getting them outdoors, maybe even more peaceful for some families. My son said something the other day that had me pause, it was part of a quote and something akin to, ” saying you don’t have time, is comparable to saying you don’t want to. ” Me, being the grey area gal, debated this with him for a bit. Focusing on mothers, I see sides to this, mothers throughout motherhood is multi faceted. It is not black and white, there is working mom, kids in activities, many children, illness, multigenerational homes, the scenarios are endless. Our conversation had to do with time and me using or over using the phrase…” If I have time.” ” I don’t have time.” “I’ll put that on my list, and see if I have time.” Was I using these phrases to replace or avoid saying, ” I don’t want to.”

Sometimes there are words that just hit a chord, they make you take stock or just pause and reflect. That is all this is, everyone has their own personal take on it. It is not judgement, it is just a check in. It is okay to not want to, just like it is okay to say what you feel or think without guilt.