snow day

we had another big snow storm last night, but i got up and ready for work this morning as usual.  then i waited for the plow, as usual, to come through our development so i could make the trek into the office.  i waited and waited and waited.  the longer i waited, the more anxious i became.  i turned on the news and listened to weather updates and road conditions.  i signed into webmail to check in on my employees and send some messages.  i watched the neighborhood come to life with the sounds of shoveling, snowblowers, spinning tires, and excited kids off from school.  i paced the house.  every time i heard a loud sound, i'd go to the window to see if it was the plow.

when i was little, the morning after it snowed was a very different picture.  my sisters and i, after peeking out the windows, would turn on the radio to listen for school closings with our fingers crossed, waiting for the magic words.  once we heard them, after much rejoicing, we'd either jump right back into bed for an extra hour or so or pull on layers to go outside to play.  a snow day was extraordinary, almost mystical, like we were gaining time and freedom that hadn't been there before.  it was an "off" day, with no schedules or rules to follow.

oh, how perception changes with age!

the plow finally did come, but not until after 2 in the afternoon.  by then, i decided there was nothing i could do but take the rest of the day off.  and since it was a day off, i had to force myself to shut down my computer, stop worrying about work i couldn't get to, and find a way to relax and enjoy it.  i completed some items on my to-do list that i haven't had time to do.  i read part of a book.  i took my time getting ready for dinner with the girls.  and best of all, i listened to the children in the neighborhood, animated, lighthearted, squealing with delight, making snow forts or snowmen, sledding down the hill in our backyard.

sometimes we need kids to remind us how to let loose and make the most out of alittle downtime.