The Deep Importance of Snow Days
A massive snowstorm is pummeling the United States with 24 states declaring a state of emergency.
This sort of weather event, much like the time between Thanksgiving and the end of the year, has the ability to cause time to slow down.
- We’re more lenient with people’s response times.
- Our plans tend to get pushed off until later.
- It’s expected that people have other things to attend to.
Time dilates and we are given the chance to slow down.
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Slow Down and Smell the Snowflakes
I took some time away from the computer. I tried some new recipes in the kitchen. I dragged my kids through the snow on a sled and then sat in front of the fireplace with them.
Aren’t these the sorts of things that we work for? Else why are we grinding so hard? Is it just to afford the necessities?
And yet, it’s often not until the snow day hits that we feel the permission to take it easy. To slow down and savor connection, play, and sleep in.
Snow Day Essentials
Perhaps you can appreciate the observation that being snowed in is often our only reprieve from the daily grind.
Or perhaps you are one of the people for whom things don’t slow down.
Maybe you are the one making sure the roads are plowed, salted, and safe. Maybe you were working in one of the stores –– now with empty shelves –– making sure everyone else had what they needed. Maybe you are making sure people still have gas or electric.
And once the snow melts enough, the same people who work these jobs are often the most likely to be harassed and kidnapped by ICE.
Much like during the pandemic, extreme situations can make it obvious what the real necessities are in life.
Lessons in Snow
Consider how many of the things we worry about on the precipice of an expected emergency are the same things we, collectively, allow others to suffer through all of the time. If we have a moment of worry about food insecurity, warm and safe shelter, or power, we can take that same moment to consider how we can advocate on behalf of those who face that kind of emergency all of the time.
Snow days are an opportunity. They give us the chance to recognize that…
- our comfort depends on others’ labor
- deadlines matter less than the people in our lives do
- temporary worry can give us valuable perspective about persistent suffering
It’s easy to get caught up in everything, only to look up and realize how much you missed.
So, go grab a cup of hot cocoa if you can, and take some time to reflect on what’s most important.
But don’t let the lessons melt with the snow. When life speeds back up, remember this feeling and what you’ve learned about what really matters.
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