Friday, February 25, 2011

In Which I Remember How To Play...

Friends, it seems I have inadvertently forgotten how to play in the snow. I can only imagine your shock, your collective gasp of complete and utter disapproval. But it's sadly true.

A Winter Storm dumped a wet batch of snow this morning. With the temps mild, the girls were eager to get out and get playing in their cottony front yard. We all layered up and headed out.

Around me the girls frolicked, picking up the snow and dropping it. They scampered about, trudging from here to there with ease and joy. With F-U-N. My husband, working from home on a rare Snow Day for him, even joined in with their adventures. The three of them paraded around the yard, seemingly doing nothing, and yet having a blast. Fits of giggles and lots of grins.

Even bundled up in the vestiges of woolly-winter-warmth, I stood there cold and unsure of what my next step should be. Feeling the need for Purpose, I grabbed a shovel and started to work on the driveway. But that didn't feel right. It certainly wasn't fun. Next I thought about Practicality and reached for the bag of sidewalk salt, scattering it on our ever-treacherous porch steps. Again I stopped; still not fun.

When did I forget how to do this? I grew up in the country, with a wide expanse of a yard that held endless possibilities on a snowy day. I never thought about being cold, or being still, or being purposeful for that matter. Looking at my husband and my twins cavorting about aimlessly and with endless joy made me mildly annoyed. They can do it. Why can't I?

Darn it. I was going to.

Tossing the shovel aside and putting the bag of salt away for later, I jumped into the piles of snow my family had created. I even frolicked. (I did. It's not on film or anything, but you can take my word for it). We marched all around, seemingly doing nothing. Yet doing everything. We made a snowman (Arthur), we shook snow covered branches, we made snowballs, we got really cold. We made memories. Together.

That key word: together. How I love it.

We came in ready for some hot cocoa and a seat by the fire. We came in with rosy cheeks and tingling toes, with stinging fingers and 4 running noses. But we made memories today.

And I think I may have remembered how to play in the snow again.

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