Monday afternoon found me at the office with a packed overnight bag, a grocery bag of food, and a blow up mattress prepared to weather out at least one night, possibly more, at the office for the lawn care business that I work for. This winter has found me spending many early mornings trudging through the snow drifts in my little suv at 3am to open the office and help coordinate snow removal efforts. But the predictions of heavy ice made me rethink my travel arrangements this week. Fifty-six hours later, I made it home. After a round of hugs to my kids I nearly ran outside to take care of chores and enjoy a few moments of peace with the animals. I found much more though.
There was a moment Wednesday night, while I walked through our pasture, when I had to stop and pinch myself to make sure it was all real. A sheer blanket of white crystals coated the ground, glittering and dancing under the lights of the house. The few miniature footprints leading up the hill told the story of hours of sledding joy from my son. I traced the shallow sled path from the top of the hill down the pasture hill and into a crash landing at the fence line with my eyes, and smiled as the images flashed through my mind.
I couldn't breathe for fear it would break the precious silence that surrounded me. It was pure elegance. The only sound was the crunch of the snow beneath my feet and the slow mewing and melodious munching from the horses enjoying their meal. Even our social chickens seemed content from their coop, and were reluctant to break the silence. The distant streets and skies deserted, and I couldn't help feeling gratitude towards the heavy ice that kept everyone home. Tilting my head back, I was greeted by the blue velvet elegance of the cloudless night, and for the first time in days, the stars were screaming their glory from the heavens. As I watched each brilliant light twist and turn in the dark, like a young girl showing off a new dress, the chaos of the day slowly began to melt away. Childhood memories come creeping to mind of winters fun gone by, and finally, I broke the silence with a spontaneous burst of laughter that could no longer be restrained. It echoed off the hill and bounced through the trees startling the sleeping birds, and then drifted away. The silence returned, and I, I kept on smiling.
