 |
| View from our back window over the fence. |
As far back as I can remember I have loved the snow. Maybe it's partly because it's a bit of a novelty on the Westcoast; We get it, but not often enough that it becomes mundane. Growing up on a hill in Coquitlam we got more of it than much of the Lower Mainland. But despite seeing those soft flakes falling more than a few times now in my lifetime, it hasn't lost its magic in the least. I've told my husband that I get almost as excited seeing a fresh snowfall beginning as I was getting married to him and seeing our children born. It's a bit of an exaggeration, but snow does put a huge smile on my face and a spring in my step. Even a rumour of it has me checking the internet forecasts every hour and trying to decide which website is the best predictor.  |
| Our first family snowman last year. |
 |
| "Pip pip and cheerio". Snowman profile. |
Perhaps it's partly because there isn't enough magic in our lives when we're grown-ups. That special feeling you had when you were a child and it was your birthday, or waking up Christmas morning, or wondering if perhaps there really might be fairies if you believed hard enough- I'm sure we've all had moments like this- and then suddenly, one day, you woke up and your birthday didn't have the shininess that it had the year before. Or you didn't quite believe the whole Santa thing this time and it lost that excitement you had always had. These kind of moments are sad when they're gone, but there doesn't seem to be enough to replace them when they fade. That's why I love how those little collections of ice crystals somehow capture that feeling for me. Suddenly the world outside my window takes on a magical hush.
 |
| One of many snow photos from our front window. |
 |
| Rowan's first glimpse of snow at age 1. He couldn't stop staring. That's my boy. |
I love how snow slows everything down. Although many may not share my view, I love how, suddenly, so much is put on hold due to the weather. People take an unexpected break from everything and have a cozy evening at home wheareas they may have been rushing around in the usual rat race before it snowed.
So when those first flakes fall I get this crazy feeling inside of excitement; of taking it slow, frollicking, and enjoying the magic, even if it's only for a short while.
I have a tradition of taking a walk in the snow around my neighbourhood late at night when I'm the only one still awake and there are no tracks in the snow ahead of me, only those I've made behind me. The absolute hush created by those falling flakes as they accumulate is so wonderful. I also walk late at night because that's when a lot of snowfall occurs while it's cold enough. In our climate I know I may wake up to rain, so I always take advantage of it while it's beautiful. I told Westin about this tradition of mine and how I took a snowy walk last week the night before the rain began and he made me promise to wake him next time and take him with me. He seemed to "get it". This pleased me immensely and I promised I would share the walk next time, no matter what time of night it is, because I think we all need to grab those magical moments and hold them tight so we never forget how to enjoy them.
PS. The header photo is one I took of Stanley Park after a brief snowfall a couple of years ago. I had just come out of the aquarium and to my surprise it started to snow.
