My brother Peter (now on a mission in Japan) once told me that he really enjoys cold weather. I was incredulous! Cold weather?!? While I'm not a fan of sweltering heat, and I enjoy cool autumnal days rather a lot, really cold weather is something more to be dreaded than enjoyed. I'm not sure if it's the fact that I find the sensation of having a cold nose rather unpleasant, (and cold toes, and cold fingertips, and cold most-everything-else), or if it's the association of cold weather with the inevitable back-aching work of shoveling off an overloaded driveway, or if it's just that I've bought into the conventional wisdom that cold is bad and warm is good.
Whatever the reason, I find the knowledge that the snow line is moving by leaps and bounds down the mountainside is often more disturbing than exciting, and this year has been no exception. Until a few nights ago.
Over the last few nights, as I've been leaving work, I've noticed the swollen moon rising between rooftops and canyon walls, and as you astronomy buffs may know, a moon that rises around 6pm (roughly when I get off work) is always full, or nearly so. A couple of nights ago, while I was driving home from work, the nearly full moon was just cresting the side of Mount Loafer near my parent's home (where I am living semi-temporarily). And, despite my horror at the recent snow that's now at least halfway down the mountain, I was stunned by the beauty of the moonlight on that same snow that I had earlier abhorred.
Moonlight on snow is a peculiar phenomenon. I love being outside on full-moon nights in any season, but seeing the bluish-white light from the moon intensified and reflected by snow on the ground is almost a transcendent experience. That night, I was able to recall that, although there are definitely aspects of winter I don't like, there are parts of it that are supernally beautiful. Like moonlight on snow.
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So I was reading the Wall Street Journal today and found this great article titled "What the In Crowd Knows : From Hollywood to Wall Street, Our guide to the blogs insiders read to stay current." Then came this amazing line...ahem... "No self-respecting industry these days is without a must-read blog. Although they vary widely on fine points like accuracy." Ha Ha Ha...fine points....accuracy...ha ha ha! I think your blog is definately a "must-read" and I certainly feel more "in the know" after reading it. Good work Beth...you are now a self-respecting industry.
Also, I'm glad that you've come around to my side...the side that knows how truly wonderful winter can be. Winter isn't all about being cold. Its about feeling warm even though its cold just on the other side of that small pane of glass in your window. I guess it helps you appreciate how blessed we are. Plus, it brings so many wonderful things: sweaters, mittens, scarves, lights, Santa!, hot chocolate, Christmas carols, sleds, vacations, and moonlight on snow. May the moonbeams find snow wherever you are for many days to come. (sounds like a fortune cookie doesn't it?)
When I was about 19, I had a wonderful friend nemed Bethel. She had childlike delight in so many things, mostly because she only remembered about four years of life. She'd been hit by a car while walking, and suffered total amnesia...and a few other things, like multiple broken bones in her back. She went from knowing four languages to having to relearn how to eat with a fork and spoon. She was possibly the most couageous person I've ever known, and also the most joyful.
How does this relate to snow? I'm getting to that.
We took a trip out to Utah for April conference. This was also my first Utah-as-an-adult experience, and I was still in the phase of swearing that I would NEVER attend BYU. But I digress.
As we passed through Beaver and stopped for gas, little snow flakes began to coalesce and fall. Bethel squealed with delight like a little child. She just lit up, and the dingy gas station was glorious to her because there was snow, and glorious to me because there was snow and Bethel. I love being around others who are joyful. Really, it's probably the best part of being a mom (and a big sister, and an aunt), because children are the greastest at joy.
Why do we lose that? Sometimes it seems to last...I still love snow, and even after several Utah winters, I catch my breath when those flakes begin to sift down, and concentrate on seeing them. And today, the last day of January, our backyard was filled with birds, pecking at the dead leaves where the snow had melted, and the end of the snow was also gently poignant and beautiful. Life is good, and sometimes I just need to reming myself of that. Half an hour ago I was feeling blah and perturbed because half of the websites I was trying to look at to work on taxes were not working, and then catching up with you Beth because it was much better than feeling blah. And now I feel much happier. Hmm...market an over-the-counter Beth blog as pick-me-up medicine?
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