Snow!

Over this past week, I have been concentrating on allowing myself to rest as I recover from back to back bugs that created a wonderful opportunity for me to care for my body. In slowing down, I noticed that the continuing accumulation of snow has resculpted my environment in miraculous ways and required me to navigate my surroundings differently. Snow, slush, and ice covered sidewalks have required me to think about each step to avoid slipping, falling, or soaking up to my ankles. In the past, I have sometimes viewed this as an annoyance, but this year I feel differently.

Yes, snow clogs the street drains, buries much needed parking space, and creates seemingly endless opportunity to shovel one's way to fitness outside. It also flocks the trees, sparkles in the sunshine, creates hours of sledding fun, and provides an opportunity to create snow people, snow balls, and snow angels. As I carefully chose my steps on Wednesday, I wondered whether the weather in warmer climates gives people who live there the gift of changing their landscape so dramatically that they actually relate to it differently, pay attention, and experience it as the miraculous thing of beauty it is. Maybe, maybe not. Right now, I am thankful that Mother Nature has cloaked Boston in Winter's beauty and given me the gift of being present to appreciate it in all its wonder.