Winter brings the inevitable cold, shivers, and occasional snow. That word, snow, can conjure up anticipation, excitement, but also dread. The very adult task of clearing snow from your property doesn’t have to be so miserable. By dealing with the issues of snow removal, you can seize control of Mother Nature and revel in your adulthood power.
My child self: I love snow – My adult self: I hate it
Experiencing snow as a kid was so enjoyable. It was like a holiday had dropped upon me. Whether fluffy and light or wet and heavy, snow meant time outside and possibly, time away from school! After a good snowfall, my sister, cousins, and I would venture out to enjoy the fun of playing in the snow, snowball fights, and just getting lost in huge heaps of the white stuff. And when our bodies were sufficiently exhausted from the fun and cold, we would go home to enjoy the soothing mugs of hot chocolate and refueling of warm meals. Enjoying snow during your childhood should be a required life experience.
As I grew older, the realities of dealing with snow began to creep in. There was a sidewalk and driveway that had to be cleared. Cars needed to be cleaned of snow to be functional. Clean, white snow began to morph into a dirty, greyish mixture of dreadful muck.
As an adult, I began to despise the snow. Businesses didn’t close as easily or often as schools did due to snowfall. One had to get to work. That meant getting up early to shovel a path, clean the car, and defrost the windows. After all that labor, there were no cups of hot chocolate, only the droning noises of an office. Staring at the window at work, I would hope that the temperature would warm up and melt the snow. If I needed to park on the street, where would I park? The massive snow piles would eliminate many needed parking spaces in crowded Brooklyn. Snow became synonymous with hassle.
A different perspective on an old task
Snowfall still requires work. Life has to continue even if seven inches of snow is on the ground. But recently, I discovered a way to reconnect with the snow by realizing my power over it.
We can’t stop snow from falling, but at least we can manipulate it. We can shovel it; use machinery to move it, salt to melt it, ice picks to chop it up once it has frozen. We can take pictures of the lovely sight of untouched snowfall on our properties. And then we can begin to clean it up. With each shovel of snow, we are making a statement that while it is a chore to remove the white stuff we are in control. We are the adults who can realize that life is comprised of the good and bad. As order is restored, as the driveways are cleared and sidewalks are made passable, we can smile at our handiwork. Nature can always hold the upper hand on our human needs and realities of life. But we hold the upper hand in learning to cope with whatever nature throws at us. We have the power to alter the impact of nature.
So the next time you hear snow and the horrible thoughts of dealing with it enter your mind, think about how you will conquer Mother Nature with your shovel. And afterwards, whether at home or at work enjoy your mug of hot chocolate. Remind yourself of your childhood but revel in the fact that you are an adult in control of your destiny. You deserve it.