What is Christmas?
Does it come without snow?
Is it wrapped only in white
Or tied up in a glorious glow?
I awoke excited and darted to the window. It finally happened! An actual snow day! The glare was blinding. Like magic, white crystals were gleaming everywhere. Snow hung from the pine trees like heavy dollops of whipped cream. The ground was covered in a majestic white carpet of snow!
I couldn’t wait to wake the girls and get everyone ready to play outside. Chuck was already ahead of me, gathering sleds and snow pants.
The air was crisp, and the sky seemed to match the glaring colors of the snow with a gray undertone. The girls were hard to find underneath their snow pants and jackets. Charlotte was just a baby, unsure what this cold white substance was, but Eva knew. She had been waiting for such a day since winter arrived, regularly asking, “When is it going to snow, Mommy?” Today, her questions were over! It wasn’t just a slushy mix that surpassed for snow. It was a genuine article equipped with depth and substance.
“Do you wanna build a snowman…” I will let you finish the rest of the lyrics. Anyone with young children has seen the movie. You own all the stuffed animals and possibly even the karaoke microphone that allows the kids to sing each song – all the way through. It is really a great treat for the parents.
The front yard was a sea of white, except for tall spades of grass that lay next to the woods, peeking out from their burial. The frost clung to the trees sprinkled with white powder perfection. Our white fence contrasted against the brown snow dirt-stained by a lonely set of tractor tracks from our neighbor heading out to feed the cows. Watching the livestock, I could see the steam rising off their thick coats as if the cold mattered none to them. You could hear the song of the hills, glistening in white beauty, keeping time with the gurgling of the creek as it meandered on its way. The snow had stopped the rush of busyness, and sounds of laughter from children and joy from parents were all you could hear.
My fearless protector Maximus, the male German Shepherd, had found his playful moment. Snow. It calls to him like a long-lost friend. For once, he was blissfully unaware while rolling around and covering his face with white. Samson, the male Golden Retriever, could not be contained. He ran laps around the yard as fast as he could, pouncing on every ball of snow we rolled, trying to make the perfect snowman. Lola, the female German Shepherd, barked and growled to protect us from the unforeseen danger of white particles covering the yard. And Penny, the female Golden Retriever, well, as I have stated before, Penny is just happy to be here!
As a young girl, I remember stepping outside to several feet of snow and trekking through it like a fight to the finish, watching my breath leave to join the brisk morning air. The wind would spin snow in great mountains of artistic design like it was threaded perfectly from a spinning wheel. I can still hear the sleigh bells dad would put on Mr. Ed and Red as they pulled the bob-sled through the pasture. Sitting inside, heaps of loose hay kept the cold from ever reaching my skin, although I doubt I would have noticed anyway with the layers of clothes and roars of laughter coming from the fun we were all having.
There is no rush in the North for fear of melting snow. It stays on longer than most appreciate – with a good understanding. In the South, snow can come and go on the same day, but your bread and milk will leave the shelves days before the apocalypse arrives.
Taking the girls outside for white-frosted adventures seemed to have no end. We sledded down the hills sailing across the drive, our screams echoing through the holler. Chuck decided to attach a sled to the lawnmower and pull us around the yard, which became the absolute highlight for many reasons. It was like tubbing behind a pontoon boat. I couldn’t catch my breath from watching the girls in the hang-ups this makeshift contraption created.
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Coming inside left us saddened, not knowing if the snow would still be there when we could go back outside later that day. Taking my snow boots off and walking down the hall in my stocking feet reminded me of South Dakota days when we would enter the house from the basement, taking off our boots, snow pants, coats, and hats. It lay in puddles as we would run up the stairs as fast as possible to find our warmth right in front of the wood stove. Sniffling from cold noses but knowing mom had something warm in the kitchen for us.
Turning into the kitchen, I decided that a splendid day deserved a pecan pie and snow cream (ice cream made from snow). Watching the pie bake reminded me of my mother working in the kitchen. The glare coming through the windows from freshly fallen snow enhanced her red hair and brightened the kitchen where she worked.
Anticipating the first bite against a white snow day left us all excited and wishing it would hurry! We topped it off with spiced tea and hot chocolate to warm our frozen hands and cheeks.
Before its captivating diamond beauty was gone, I wanted to see what it looked like down my familiar path through the woods. I suited up one last time, and off I went. The brown bark of the trees laying against the rich white background with the creek rushing away as if to escape the mounds of beauty about to join the flow left me peaceful and full of thanksgiving for this snow day that my children got to enjoy.
The cardinals, in their suit of red, sat enjoying the view themselves. The snow crunched and scooted as I walked, returning to earlier snow days I could recall. I could hear the tires turning as we parked to head in to view the Capital trees and feel the quiet cold seeping under my hood as we slowly made our way up the sidewalk towards the warmth of inside, where ornately decorated trees awaited our viewing. Second to none, Pierre, SD holds the most magnificent display of beauty when it comes to a lighted Christmas display for all to enjoy. And I couldn’t wait to get inside to see them.
But as for this moment down the trail, I was not rushing it away. The cold could stay, and the snow was not in my way. I enjoyed the moment immensely.
It wasn’t long before our snowman began to shrink; his accessories started to fall, and his nose began to bend. The snow-covered trees disappeared one drip at a time as rays of golden warmth broke through the gray, and just like that, our snow tracks were gone. But I was still smiling. What a glorious snow day to have been a part of – if only for a little while.
Snow. Yes, this must surely be what Christmas is all about. Or is it?
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