Tuesday, December 06, 2005
Let It Snow! Or, It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas
Yesterday afternoon and evening the DC area got its first serious snowfall. (The night before Thanksgiving there was a little flurry, but it was all gone by morning.) And it's made me even more grateful for where I live.
See, I've spent the last three winters in Cambridge, Massachusetts, which is more of a winter wasteland than a winter wonderland. Walking home from the Metro last night, as the light snowflakes were falling and accumulating on the grass and even the asphalt, I couldn't help but compare the experience to my recent past in New England. For the first time in years, I was happy it was snowing. I am happy it snowed. I actually mentioned it in my prayers (though I used the word "snow," not "moisture").
That's because here in DC, the snowfall is pleasant, whereas in Cambridge it is malicious. In Cambridge, it always felt like the snow was your enemy, seeking to destroy you and everything you hold dear. It wanted to block your way out the door, it wanted to keep your car from running, and it lasted so long, it made you think that maybe it had taken over the world. When it snowed in Cambridge, my reaction was: "Oh crap. Not again." When it snowed here last night, my reaction was: "Christmassy!"
Further, I am glad that it does snow here. People who live in warmer climates where it doesn't snow at all miss out first of all on the Christmassy feeling and the beautiful quiet hush that snow brings. When it's 70 degrees in December, it doesn't make you appreciate the warmth of the summer so much. We have some good friends who recently moved to Virginia after spending their whole lives in Arizona. In July, they complained of the humidity. Now they're complaining of the cold (we told them if they think THIS is cold, they should check out Boston in January!).
Me, I like the variety. And I like when the snow is my friend.
See, I've spent the last three winters in Cambridge, Massachusetts, which is more of a winter wasteland than a winter wonderland. Walking home from the Metro last night, as the light snowflakes were falling and accumulating on the grass and even the asphalt, I couldn't help but compare the experience to my recent past in New England. For the first time in years, I was happy it was snowing. I am happy it snowed. I actually mentioned it in my prayers (though I used the word "snow," not "moisture").
That's because here in DC, the snowfall is pleasant, whereas in Cambridge it is malicious. In Cambridge, it always felt like the snow was your enemy, seeking to destroy you and everything you hold dear. It wanted to block your way out the door, it wanted to keep your car from running, and it lasted so long, it made you think that maybe it had taken over the world. When it snowed in Cambridge, my reaction was: "Oh crap. Not again." When it snowed here last night, my reaction was: "Christmassy!"
Further, I am glad that it does snow here. People who live in warmer climates where it doesn't snow at all miss out first of all on the Christmassy feeling and the beautiful quiet hush that snow brings. When it's 70 degrees in December, it doesn't make you appreciate the warmth of the summer so much. We have some good friends who recently moved to Virginia after spending their whole lives in Arizona. In July, they complained of the humidity. Now they're complaining of the cold (we told them if they think THIS is cold, they should check out Boston in January!).
Me, I like the variety. And I like when the snow is my friend.
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