My school district is infamous for never calling a snow day. Perhaps there is some logical reason we never have one even when in every direction other schools have cancelled, but I’m not privy to any reason beyond yankee pride. Thankfully, students and teachers alike miraculously make it despite the scary road conditions or the below freezing temps. But yesterday school was called, and it felt like a gift for sure. No rising in the dark, no trying to figure out how to maneuver out of the snowdrifts before our plow guy does his job, no slippery slide hoping to stay on the road, just me in my pj’s for hours sipping tea and watching the white stuff fall fast and heavy. Been living in a snow globe for months on end but today felt like a peek into a wondrous winter wonderland.

As it so happened at mid-day the snow stopped, the clouds broke apart, and bright blue took center stage. My eyes were drawn upward, and all the infirmity that has consumed my being these last weeks vanished. What power there is in that blue, in those moments when the sun blasts through the grey and the sky claims my soul.

Although downhill skiing requires a drive to the mountain and ticketing up, nordic can be as simple as opening your back door, especially convenient when the roads are still sketch. Needless to say, this snow day meant tearing up our back fields, up and down the little hills, in and around the pines, over and over until one feels the joy of movement in every muscle. I felt the freedom of gliding across the slippery slopes under this blueing sky until I just couldn’t any more. Pure heaven.

Being outside mid-day one just feels lucky, right? Happy to be strong, and fit, and here in this very field, with snow in every direction, and no reason to not be enjoying the gifts of the season. Yippee to snow days, as rare and fleeting as they come to us, they are a treasure. A treasure to treasure.

Eventually the clouds rolled overhead, and the snow shower picked back up. Before heading inside to stoke up the fire and heat up some soup, I took one last ski up and around, and felt victorious.