|
Snow-Day Thanks, Angst, and Inspiration
Greetings from snowy Massachusetts! We haven't had a winter like this in years. When a client called today and asked how I was doing, I told him that while the adults in my household have grown weary of the weather, our kids are delighting in the winter wonderland.
Different life stages often bring different perspectives on experiences. When a winter storm appears in the forecast, we adults plan for snow removal, manage concerns about driving conditions, prepare for possible power outages, battle the crowds at grocery stores, and sort out child-care responsibilities when our children's schools are closed. Our kids, on the other hand, assess whether the snowfall brings good “snowman snow,” delight in sleeping in and making pancakes for breakfast on a morning home from school, and round up neighborhood friends for sledding, fort building, and snowball fights.
Of course, there are plenty of adults who will also strap on snowshoes or skis to play outside, and there are kids who might prefer a day at the beach to a day outside in the cold. So, while I can't say there are universal differences between adults’ and children's responses to the winter of 2026 in Massachusetts, my conversations with other parents confirm these general trends. “I have nothing good to say about today!” another parent recently said to me, lamenting the inefficiency of her town's street plowing, which threw her morning into chaos as she struggled to get her child to school after a 2-hour delay.
But this parent, and all of us fortunate enough to have warm, safe housing to shelter us from the storms, can take comfort in this security and safety amidst the stresses and strains of a long, cold, snowy winter. We have a family tradition of saying “thankfuls” at dinnertime, and all winter long, I've often used my turn around the table to give thanks for just that.
What about you? How are you weathering the weather if you, too, are in New England, or elsewhere that has experienced a long, cold, snowy winter? Do you have children in your life who delight in the snow? Or childhood memories of big storms? Try to find some writing time before spring arrives to jot down your memories. Who knows? Maybe someday those snow-day stories you record will end up in a memoir read in the homes of your dear ones for years to come.
With warm wishes,
Megan St. Marie
President
| 
