2021
When I was young snow was magic.
I’d dress up in my warmest mittens, boots, and coat, and out I’d go
Creating fantasies of living snow families, I’d create forts to keep us safe
and build snow weapons to protect us. Or I’d roll myself in the snow, sometimes
creating a celestial world of angels. I’d raise my mouth to the sky, letting a flake touch
down on my tongue, barely tasting the tiniest liquid drop of cool.
And when I’d leave my snow world, a warm cup of chocolate would await me, bringing
me lovingly back into my other reality.
When I was in my middle years, snow was a different magic.
I’d dress up in my warmest mittens, boots, and coat, and out I’d go
Shoveling the snow into proper piles, systematically creating a path from which I could
leave my lair and venture out into the world. Shoveling for others, who without mine or
others’ help, could not venture out. Laughing with all my friends in the neighborhood
where I lived as we bemoaned the amount of accumulation or the frequency of that
year’s snowfalls. thankfully accepting the help of the neighbor with the snow blower who
had finished his own driveway so quickly.
And when I’d leave my snow world, a warm cup of chocolate would await me, bringing
me lovingly back into my other reality.
Now that I am in my later years, snow still has magic.
I sit at the window and marvel at its beauty. I watch the majesty of each snowflake as it
gently falls to the ground. I no longer have to shovel, as others shovel for me, creating
my path of safety so these brittle bones won’t break as I walk in my wonderland to my
mailbox. I measure the accumulation by the amount of snow balanced precariously on
the railing of my deck. And I sip a warm cup of chocolate as I watch.
But as I get ready for the next snowfall, I think that I will call one of my grandchildren to
come visit. And together we will dress up in our warmest mittens, boots, and coat, and
out we’ll go. Back to my childhood, creating fantasies of snow families, forts, snow
weapons, and angels. We will raise our mouth to the sky, letting a flake touch down on
our tongue, simply tasting the exquisite flavor of cool.
And as we leave our snow world, a warm cup of chocolate will await us, bringing us
lovingly back into our other reality.