Outside Observations #1
32 degrees. 5:00am. January 1, 2021. Winds dying down. The last remnants of a fresh snowfall flit about in the air.
As I place the morning’s first footprints in the new fallen snow, I am struck by at least 3 virtues of snow:
1. Snow reflects light. Even before you get up to see if it has snowed, you already know because that familiar soft glow illuminates your blinds and drapes. Reflecting any available source of light, fresh snow amplifies brightness. Don’t you love people and things that remind you of the light instead of the dark? I’m so weary of the darkness of division, hate, and suspicion. And in some profound way, laying down fresh tracks in the snow awakens the best of me, reminds me of the best in people that transcends all of the lines.
2. Snow accentuates previously unnoticed beauty. Until snow gathers on ledges, rooftops, tree limbs and fences, you probably rarely notice them. Snow highlights new and gorgeous views. It reframes your perspective. Isn’t it refreshing to discover magnificence anew in unexpected places and people?
3. Snow awakens your appreciation for purity. Setting aside any debate about the actual components of snow, it strikes you as pristine, spotless, and unspoiled. The immaculate nature of undisturbed snow refreshes the soul, draws your mind towards all that is wholesome. You have plenty of sources that do the opposite. So take a moment to allow the innocence of snow to wash over you.
Soon, the neighborhood kids will construct snowmen, toss snowballs, and lay down multiple tracks. Cars will run down the streets, people will clear their walkways, and the heat of the sun will melt it all away. But right now in the early hours of this first morning of a new year, I am outside observing the virtues of snow that arrived overnight full of hope.
Worth Repeating
Snow falling soundlessly in the middle of the night will always fill my heart with sweet clarity.
― Novala Takemoto
