Jack Frost has arrived, and he has been bringing us presents. He’s clearly still in the giving spirit. Yet every winter people complain about the inconveniences that snow brings, and no one really takes time to appreciate the positive aspects of it.
The night of the first snow this season I went outside and just stood in it, looking up at the swirls of dancing snowflakes that greeted me with kisses as they landed on my face.
While people complain about snow, the old adage is completely right in this case: you never know what you have until it’s gone. Do you remember winter two years ago when it barely snowed and wildfires and drought ran rampant across the state the next few summers? People should be grateful for snow instead of hating it, since if it snows more we’ll have more water. Currently, the intense drought in California, which has impacted the state since 2011, has been subsiding, due to increased levels of precipitation, especially snow. throughout the state. California is just one example of why snow is not only desired but needed. Without adequate snow, the soil for crops isn’t ready for spring, and food prices rise. Without snow, it doesn’t feel like the holidays
I understand why people hate snow. It’s cold, it freezes everything and it’s hard to drive in. However, there are good things that come out of these inconveniences. Last winter, half the town’s cars were stuck in the snow. The other half were helping. Everyone who wasn’t stuck got a shovel or a scraper and stopped to help everyone they passed who needed it. People at school whom I had never talked to helped me dig out my car. Because of the snow, everyone came together and were filled with holiday spirit.
Although the snow can be hard to drive in, if you drive carefully and plan ahead, there’s no reason it should be stressful. Just the other day I drove straight through an intense storm with wind, rain and then snow, but I took it slow and stayed calm and was perfectly fine. As far as the cold goes, it just gives you an excuse to take blankets to class. With snow comes fuzzy socks and all the hot chocolate one can drink.
Here in Utah we should be especially grateful for the snow. Utah is famous for its ski resorts and with the snow comes tourists and outdoor fun for ourselves. Even if you can’t afford extravagant activities such as skiing or snowboarding, there are still snowmen to be built, ice castles to forge and sleds to ride.
We can’t control the weather but we can control our attitudes. Is the glass half empty or half full? Is snow an icy “screw you” from Jack Frost or is it a comforting white blanket of love that gently covers the earth as it goes to sleep?