Snow Day

In South Carolina, snow is something legends are made of. Almost everyone has a story that starts off, "Remember that snow we had back in 19XX..." Down here, where the winters are mild and the summers are scorching, we rarely--if ever--get to experience the magic of fresh falling snow. This winter, as most of the Eastern half of the United States has been reeling from snowfall after snowfall, I've only watched in jealously. Don't get me wrong, this winter has been better than most. I've worn a coat more than twice and have enjoyed cranking up the heat and huddling inside. I've relished in taking in a breath of air and feeling the icy burn in my lungs. I've experienced an almost giddy delight when seeing my breath in the mornings. I know most people would say I'm crazy, but I miss the Kentucky winters of my childhood.

Friday night, I was a wide-eyed child on Christmas morning.

As the first few flakes began to fall, I didn't get too excited. But they slowly became to multiply, falling faster and faster. Within a few hours, snow blanketed the neighborhood. I watched eagerly as the few remaining blades of grass disappeared. I went to sleep that night as satisfied as child surrounded by newly opened presents. When I awoke at 5:00 the next morning (Lucy's new wake-up time), the room was glowing. There's nothing quite like the eerie glow snow casts. In elementary school, there was nothing better than awaking to a room illuminated. We knew that there would surely be no school that day.

Lucy seemed to sense my excitement. I wanted to take her out for a romp in the snow. Other neighborhood kids were already out building snowmen and sledding down the street. Yet I ran into a bit of a problem. Lucy's wardrobe is ill-prepared for encounters with frozen precipitation. Buying snow boots or even waterproof pants is foolish for those of us living in SC as there's only ever the slightest chance we might see the elusive white stuff. After some creative outfitting, we made our way outside. Jamie--ever the handyman--used an old garbage can top and fastened a rope through it. Lucy looked like a Tennesse Walker as she high-stepped her way through our snowy yard. She leaned down to pick up a handful and immediately did her "pfffffff" sound, something she reserves for times when she's especially tickled. Jamie brought out his makeshift sled and pulled an initially confused looking but soon cackling Lucy around our yard. She enjoyed it immensely until she took a bit of spill down the hill. The sled was a no-go after that point.

Almost an hour later and thoroughly soaked, we decided to head back inside. Wrangling our toddler in,however, turned out to be more difficult that I expected. Lucy would've been content to play in the snow all day long.

In life, however, all good things must come to an end. This is especially true for snow days in South Carolina. By last night, all of our snow had melted. I watched the three little snow people across the street gradually disappear into puddles on the soggy ground in the late afternoon. By late last night, even the roads were completely dry. The snow melted so quickly that it almost left us wondering if it had ever been here at all. Perhaps that's why snow really is the stuff legends are made of in the South. It comes quickly, stays just long enough to enchant us, and steals away while we aren't looking, leaving us wanting more.