freshness, a new beginning, and a season of change. We are bombarded with our everyday responsibilities.
Consumed with the troubles in the world today, politics, what side should we be on, left or right. The images
that the news cast of rioting, shootings, scandals, war, death, wild fires, earthquakes, hurricanes, tornadoes,
landslides, drought, starving, kidnappings, abuse, homelessness, the list goes on and on. So much negativity
and sadness, and few positive, happy, and joyful images to renew our hearts and minds.
Close your eyes, take a deep breath and blow free from your mind all the responsibilities of adulthood, all
the ugly images in our world today that the media outlets portray, what social media is streaming. I want to
take you back to being a child once again and waking up to that first big snowfall of the year.
Do you see it?
You are so excited you can hardly contain yourself, even as your mother is making you a large hot breakfast
to fill your belly as she knows it will be hours before she sees you again once you’ve walked out the front
door. You crawl into your snow suit, stocking cap, scarf, gloves and snow boots to follow. You want to beat
your siblings, to be the first outside to the winter wonderland. You fall backwards into the fresh blanket of
snow embracing it around you, and you begin to create your snow angel. You look up at the heavens trying
to capture the snowflakes on your tongue and they cling to your eyelashes at the same time blinding you
ever so briefly. You engage in a battle of, “King of the mountain”, on top of the largest pile of snow that has
been formed by the tractor that dad is now using to free the driveway and making pathways to the barn
in order to get to the pens to feed and water the livestock on the farm. A snowball has hit you and a war
has now begun of snowballs being thrown from every direction, you take cover and try to out smart your
siblings. You grab your sled and race up the nearest hill taking turns sliding down, giggling and trying to
steer that sled with your younger brother or sister in your lap, trying to keep the both of you from tipping
over. You ditch your snow boots to be replaced with ice skates and the nearest pond now becomes your
skating ring. You are performing before an audience as the next Olympic ice skater, spinning around and
around and around. Never tiring, as free as a bird floating through the
air. Then that first winter’s day starts to come to an end as your parents
holler for you to come inside. Your imagination follows you back home,
of all that you have achieved that day, the characters you had become, the
wars you fought, the forts you engineered and the explorer of the new
world that you were for the moment.
Open your eyes, did you see it, could you feel it again?
I challenge each and every one of you no matter how old you are, after
the snow falls or ice storm, the heavy morning frost that has arrived,
to bundle up, get out and explore. Whether by foot, snowshoeing, on
a snowmobile or in your four-wheel drive truck. See the beauty, the
magical winter wonderland before you. Be that child of innocence and
imagination you once were and the harshness of winter that we see as
adults won’t be that miserable or dreadful of a season. n
Writing this column has taken me on a journey of sorts, I never expected to get comments from time to
time and it is humbling. Want to share your thoughts, feelings or even have a story idea; I would love
to hear from you. Please email me, ang@yankton.net, and thanks for reading! Ang
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