A Much Needed Pause

We’re now on our third day of being snowed in.  This is not a regular occurrence where we live.  It happens seldom enough that we don’t have all the equipment necessary to go on with life when you get dumped on with snow.  I am not oblivious to the fact that for those without enough heat or food, there is nothing inspiring or heart warning about being snowed in, but by the grace of God, I am not in that boat, and I am luxuriating in being surrounded by my family, in our house, with no way to get away.

I, like the rest of you, have a to-do list a mile long.  Actually, I have two mile long to-do lists—one for work and one for home.  The piles of white stuff in our driveway and roads has given me permission to put those lists on hold for now.  Some day I’ll ask myself why I need permission to put these lists in a drawer for the time being, but not today, since introspection is going in the drawer along with the lists.  I realize how much I’ve needed a pause from the busyness of life, and I’m thankful for the opportunity the snow has given me.

My kids are now all teens and even beyond.  What this means in practical terms is that they have a permanent itch that can only be scratched by use of a car to take them away to where something—anything actually—is happening.  This magical place is almost never at home.  This isn’t the case yet with my younger teens, but the older ones have a near fatal case of this dreaded itch.  But guess what soothes that itch like magic?  Yep, you guessed it—snow.  Use of the car is out of the question for now, and they are wonderfully content to be with the family playing ping pong and cards, watching movies, sledding, cooking, and yes, gasp, even helping to clean up.  The magic of Christmas may be helping with this attitude, but the combination of the Christmas spirit and snow is powerful, and I intend to appreciate it as long as it lasts.

I am becoming painfully aware that the years we have as a family together are limited.  If we do our job right, our kids will eventually move out, establish their own separate lives and enjoy being snowed in on their own … or not.  But that time isn’t now, so for today, I’m going to enjoy every moment of this time together.  Tomorrow or the next day, our road will be cleared.  The call of the outside world will beckon, and we will all be ready to resume our lives.  But for now, I’m going to go on cooking all the special treats we love, sledding down our hill, playing rummy and ping pong tournaments, and curling in front of the fire with a good book.   Life is good.

Image credit: nocas