Snow days

Snowstorms remind me of when I was a little kid and living at 277 Merrick Avenue. The snowdrifts were up to my knees and my short legs charged through the white piles of fluffy snow. I was bundled in an oversized winter coat with a scarf tied around my neck. I wore a knitted hat pulled over my ears, puffy mittens over my hands, and big clunky boots.
The Old Man used to call them space boots.

I loved the snow, though my toes would get too cold. My fingers were cold too.
Making snowmen or snowballs left my mittens wet, which made my hands freeze. My lips would turn purple but the last thing I wanted to do was go inside.
I would wait until the pain in my hands and feet was unbearable. Then I would run in the house, sniffling, and crying.
This is where my Mom came in. She warmed my hands and warmed my feet. She set out dry clothes for me to change into and then she made me a cup of hot cocoa with extra marshmallows.

Snowstorms remind me of waking early, climbing down from my bed, and rushing to see if school was cancelled.
Man, I used to love snow days…..
But The Old Man never took one. Just like the mailman, he would work in rain, snow, sleet, or sunshine.
If I asked why he would say, “The bills don’t care if it snows. They only care if they get paid.”

The Old Man went to work early in the morning and my Mother would make cinnamon toast with just the right amount of butter and a touch of sugar.
The house was warm, the outside was white, and I was a little kid, hungry to live, and anxious to play.

This morning, I stepped outside of my front door. The snowflakes were the size of half-dollars and coming fast. My friend The Old Tree stood as he usually does; however, its naked branches were covered in snow. The street was covered in a blanket of white with only a few tire tracks cutting down the middle. The sky was gray and I felt hungry to live and anxious to play.

I thought about The Old Man….
I asked myself, “Why don’t you take a snow day?”
And like The Old Man I answered, “The bills don’t care if it snows….they only care if they get paid.”

I know this weather is not for everyone…..but I still think it’s beautiful.

Don’t worry, folks.
The springtime is just around the corner. Pretty soon my friend The Old Tree will begin to sprout life on the last of its limbs, and the sun will thaw our side of the hemisphere.
I guess I’ll just have to keep warm until then