My Love/Hate Relationship with Snow

“It is snow to be shoveled to make driving worse than usual; snow to be joked about and cursed at, but unless the child in you is entirely dead, it is snow too, that can make the heart beat faster when it catches you by surprise, that way before your defenses are up. It is snow that can awaken memories of things more wonderful than anything you ever knew or dreamed.” Frederick Buechner

A freshly fallen snow links us to our childhood memories. One of my fondest, most vivid memories of a snowy day when I was seven is the following:

My twin sister and I get off the school bus. My mom is bundled up in her snow gear pulling our new English bulldog puppy Algie on our sled. Mom gave us a ride home on the sled, covered with a red plaid blanket with Algie between us on our laps. After taking off our wet clothes at home, we ate warm, gooey homemade toll house cookies and hot cocoa with marshmallows. This memory was especially poignant because Algie was gone a month later after he ate up our kitchen and my mom decided it was the puppy or her. My sister and I knew who we wanted to stay but my dad had the deciding vote!

My eleven- year old Jesse lives for the snow. Living in California until three years ago, he was jealous of every snowfall we had in New York. He loves sledding and “throwing snow in my face and my friends’ faces”. My son Keith loves to drive in snow and loves to ski. He is a cold weather person, and much prefers winter to summer.

My granddog Liam, a one- year old mix of sheepdog, Bernese mountain dog, and mini poodle (hah, mini; he is huge!) delights in bounding through the deep snow and eating big mouthfuls. Unfortunately, he comes in with frozen ice balls stuck to his wooly fur, difficult to remove.

I try to remember the sense of wonder I had as a child looking out the window at the freshly fallen snow and appreciate the magic and beauty of a snowstorm. It reminds me of Peter in my kindergarten ESL students’ favorite book “A Snowy Day” by Ezra Jack Keats. For many of my students coming from Central and South America, it was their first experience with snow. They loved it!

Why do people love snow? It is a change of scenery. During the dark, gray, and dirty days of winter with bare trees and dead grass, a blanket of snow covering the landscape is a bright refreshing change. Everything looks almost magical when covered in snow (until of course it becomes black with dirt or slick with ice).

Indeed, an article in the Huffington Post lists 8 ways snow makes you a happier person. See if you agree.

Once a beautiful snowfall is added to our winter, we often find our feelings of bitterness transform into one of pure unadulterated joy. It wipes the slate of our world clean rejuvenating our personal perspective at the same time. Really?

Snow inspires our sense of wonder. OK

Snow gives off relaxing vibes and even in our most stressful moments, a fresh snowfall maintains almost supernatural power to calm us down. ( I guess if we are inside and not afraid of driving in it.)

Snow links us to childhood memories. Definitely!

Snow gives us fun games and treats. Agreed.

Snow brings us to the present moment. What fun to be the first to leave footprints in a fresh layer of snow.

It brings people together and reminds us of the beauty of nature. True

It’s time is limited. There are only six weeks until spring. Yay!

It’s time to come clean. As an adult, I hate snow. Because I have broken both wrists at two different times (having fallen over snowless, iceless speed bumps twice) I am fearful of falling in the snow and ice. Freshly fallen soft snow is beautiful to look at (from inside my cozy den, sipping green tea), but having to walk my dog Linus when the road ices over scares me to death. One of the reasons I was happy to retire at age 68 was not having to clean off my car and leave for work early. I live in a condo complex with no garages.

Even in my first year of college at Syracuse University, snow played a part in my hating school. There were 200 icy steps to walk down to campus and my classes and the same 200 icy steps to walk up at the end of the day. I lived in a dorm up on Mt. Olympus. No one warned about the steps. Why didn’t I go to the University of Miami?

Do you know there is actually a Facebook group that is called “My Love/Hate Relationship with Snow? Where do you fall on this issue?

“Oh the weather outside is frightful. But the fire is so delightful. And since we’ve no place to go….. Let it snow! Let it snow! Let it snow!” Sammy Cahn