I believe there is a purpose to snowstorms. We stop doing mundane things and take stock of who we are and where we are going. We turn inward, whether by reading by the warmth of a fire, by napping, or by some form of creative pursuit. We unleash the inner world by letting go, albeit temporarily, of the outer world.
To that end, I use snowstorms to delve into memory of life. I think back to learning to read and my excitement in deciphering letters and words. Remember the Dick and Jane books? My memory is etched with the images of Dick, Jane and Spot out in the snow….big picture-book snowflakes, bright mittens and red cheeks. I always remember my childish anticipation of our first snow and feel the same rush of joy even now.
I use the clarity that comes with white snow blanketing the earth to remember how joyous those early experiences were. I bring them back to the present to see with new eyes what is after all a new day in my life, a new beginning.
Image: Elizabeth A Goddard “Winter’s Snow Blankets the Vineyard”, relief print, copyright 2006