Monday, March 12, 2007

Sunny, 55 Degrees. A great day for

playing in the snow?! Yup. While out driving yesterday, we saw two young boys happily playing in a large pile of snow. We've had so much snow and cold in recent weeks that despite several days of spring-like warmth the ground is still somewhat frozen and those big mounds made by snowplows are remain pretty big.

My girls spent most of the afternoon out riding their bikes, drawing with chalk on the driveway and climbing in one of our smaller trees. My husband took advantage of the warmth to go throw a couple of rounds of disc golf (too mushy on the course for us to join him though). In fact, it seemed like most of our fair city was drawn outdoors by the hints of spring yesterday.

But these two boys fascinated me most. I was kind of jealous. I don't ever remember being able to play in the snow without being all bundled up and freezing my nose and toes. Yet there they were: no coats on, enjoying a sunny, warm day, building things with snow.

I hadn't noticed any snow before I saw those boys. Then I began paying attention. They hadn't found the lone snow pile in Naperville. There were others. Sure most of them were dirty, but they were there, largely being ignored by walkers and bikers, kids on swings and slides. We're all quick to rush onto the next season.

One thing about our culture is the penchant for the newest, latest, greatest things to come on the scene. But maybe sometimes it's good to savor the last bits of the old things, the old seasons, before they're gone, before we're just reminiscing about how it "used to be". In another few months we'll be missing the snow, but we still have the chance today to see it and touch it and enjoy it.

Now if I can just find a carrot and that old top hat...

4 musings:

Craver Vii said...

A friend of mine teased me for talking about the weather, as if that subject was too desperate for normal conversation. Part of me wants to tease, but the truth is I enjoyed hearing about your kids and the remnant snow banks. It's so imporatant to be able to find contentment in what God has given us "today."

L.L. Barkat said...

I like that last bit of musing. Enjoying what we have even as it melts away, before the new comes striding in...

And the scene of your boys in the snow reminds me of Little House. I believe the girls in that book had such a day, in the "sugar snow" season. Everything dripping, everything shouting "spring!" while winter was preparing its quiet exit.

Lara said...

Craver-you'd like to suggest I'm grasping at straws? Who me? Let's look at it another way (tell your friend this): it is easy to make something of deep topics, but how much greater a challenge lies in finding meaning in the quotidian (ha! got it in there again).

Btw you do a good job generating discussion on your blog on any topic, deep or otherwise.

LL- wow! You are a natural poet: "Everything dripping, everything shouting "spring!" while winter was preparing its quiet exit."

And now I'm eager to borrow back my Little House books from my daughter to find that story (she might know where to find it quicker). I still love reading those books.

spaghettipie said...

Snow, what's snow? (she says from Texas)

Nice thoughts and a cool way to apply a fun family day to our every day life.