Snow Days

Snow days are for kids, sledding and snowmen. Many of my fondest memories from childhood were made on these magical days when the world would slow and we could all go out and play.

These days started earlier than others, it was important to get up and tune in to the local radio station. Every 15 minutes they would read off the list of schools that were closed, you had to listen for your school district to be called. Than you knew, your prayers had been answered, and you were about to have some serious fun. Snow day!

Now, my parents both worked, we were the first generation of latch key kids. Snow days were usually unsupervised in my day. The kids knew where to meet for sledding or a snow ball fight, so after a quick breakfast, it was time to bundle up, grab your sled and head out to meet the neighborhood kids.

This is where the memories were made. Alliances formed on the snowball battle grounds, teams would form and work together to build walls and make snowballs. Don’t have a sledding hill? No problem, those plowed hills on the corners made for some great sledding. Hot chocolate would be shared at someone’s house and as the day slowly turned to afternoon we would slowly disband, towing our sleds behind, shouting hopes for another snow day tomorrow!

When I walk my dog around my adult neighborhood, I see a Dad snow blowing a huge sledding hill in the middle of his yard. In the afternoon the neighbors gather and their kids enjoy the man made sledding hill. I can hear the squeals of joy across the road as they play hide and seek in the snow, while their parents chat from 6 feet apart. The world is so very different and then very much the same.