When I woke up this morning to a light coat of snow outlining the trees and roads, I was reminded of a simpler time in my life. A happier time, I suppose. I was remembering snow days, and I remember them fondly. Both my childhood and my children’s childhood. They were magical days full of endless possibilities whether the magic took place indoors or outdoors.

Yes, it was a day to reflect because time seemed to stand still amid the flakes and pureness of the snow. Remembering snow days is easy. Remembering snow days fondly may sound crazy, but that is how I remember them.

Childhood Snow Days

For me, there was no better day. The world shut down and we were cut off from that world. Isolated in our own snow globe. Huddled near the radio waiting for an announcement: school is cancelled! Warmed by the thought we had nothing to do and no place to go. Insulated with the knowledge of a whole day just for ourselves.

I grew up in Northeast Pennsylvania where everything is colder. Because our snow was deep and our nights were bitter, the snow hung around for weeks. The power went out and we “roughed” it long before generators were a thing. To make the snow day manageable, we gathered candles and flashlights, piled blankets high, and took turns with books and games and puzzles. We were in it for the long haul.

On a snow day, we lived for the great outdoors. It was always the perfect snow for packing. For starters, we built snow forts as tall as our tiny frames and constructed snowmen to delight the whole neighborhood. Kids converged from all the adjoining yards and beyond for snowball battles and sledding and anything else that would make us soggy and saturated through the double layer of socks in our boots.

Sledding was by far the best. There was a need for speed. But also the competition of who could go furthest on a rickety wooden sled you actually steered. Precariously perched to lose your two front teeth. We started at the hill by my grandmother’s house, and if the track was slick enough and you were savvy enough, you could make it all the way down the hill to our house. It was a challenge I didn’t take lightly. Exhausted after a trillion trips back up the hill, we trudged home around dusk for dinner. Mom had been simmering something savory all afternoon to fill our empty bellies.

Memories of My Children’s Snow Days

It was my own childhood memories that in turn made me cherish my children’s snow days. I yearned for a good, old-fashioned snow storm so they too could experience the joy of staying home with no agenda, no place to go but home. For me, it was a right of passage to have this experience. It was a simple joy that you could only truly understand as a child.

So, with my fingers crossed as we went to bed, I waited for that early morning phone call from the school, announcing the official closing. Quietly, oh so quietly, I would turn off the alarm and sneak back under the covers. Waiting for the boys to excitedly tumble down the hall, first round of snow gear going on almost immediately.

For me, it was watching my childhood all over again, the simplicity of the snow, the ease of the day. Sure, it was a ton of work getting boots on and off, mopping up the excess water from the snow they dragged in, drying mittens before they went outside again. Oh, but it was so worth it. The rosy complexions, the exhaustion, the thrill of it all.

When the boys were outside, they were working in tandem to stock pile snowballs for a sneak attack, using their imaginations to create a random foe to throw said snowballs at, and burning energy like nobody’s business. Spent and tired, I served lunch with hot chocolate. Perhaps a movie or a board game. Followed by another return effort out into the snow.

The Gift of Remembering Snow Days

I cherished those days. On this one day, the world was meant for us and us alone. No interruptions from the outside world. For one day, there were no practices to rush off to and no homework to be done. Just endless time to be together and enjoy the gift Mother Nature brought.

It was a comforting cocoon, even if the peaceful magic only lasted for a day. Soon schedules would resume and day to day life would take over. The snow would be trampled by foot prints and tarnished from the snow plow, leaving a black sooty mess in its wake. But the hush that fell over the world while we were blanketed in snow was priceless.

I would give anything to have one more snow day with them. Us against the elements.

When you cozy up to one of Scout’s stories, sip your coffee out of your very own Scribing with Scout coffee mug. It’s the perfect way to spend a snowy, winter afternoon: Scribing With Scout Ceramic Mug 11oz – Etsy

Another conundrum mother’s face: Problem Solving. Read an oldie but goodie from Scout: https://scribingwithscout.com/wp-admin/post.php?post=470&action=edit