Like all of us Denverites, I woke up this morning to a field of diffuse white light coming from my window. The snow rolled in enforce last night while we slept. Now this morning I'm thinking about snow days.
When I was a kid, hearing that it had snowed enough to cancel school was a treat on a par with a surprise trip to our favorite amusement park. Mom would make something hot for breakfast, usually oatmeal, which I didn't like, but would eat a bowl of as quickly as I could so that I could get on to bigger and better things...building a snowman, dragging out the saucer sled and hitting a hill, digging a cave in a recently plowed pile, or laying on my belly examining the tiny wonders that delicate snowflakes are when you look close enough. I didn't care about getting cold and wet. That really didn't matter compared to a day off in a winter wonderland.
Now, as an adult, things are a little different. Work may or may not be cancelled. You don't know until you get up and get a phone call or go online to check. It could turn into a day off, or a slow and sloppy drive to work surrounded by other drivers who are less than thrilled with the gifts of Mother Nature. The questions become, how do you really feel about changing plans? and what do you do with the surprise time off when you have it?
Grown-ups tend to be creatures of habit. We like our routine. We depend on it to know how to structure our lives. Take it away, and we may get angry or anxious or both. You could spend a snow day fretting about all the work that's not getting done at the office. Or you could feel the road rage begin when you are surrounded by people who own SUVs with fat snow tires and local license plates who still act like they've never encountered this terrifying white fluff from above. Or instead, you could take the opportunity to breath deep and relax into the day. Those people you work with may have to realize that the deadlines and pressures they feel day in and day out will not come crashing down on them if you are late or absent even. You may be irreplaceable, but a team needs to rely on each other and be flexible enough to adjust to unforseen things like weather. And as far as road and driver conditions go, a snowy day could be just the tool to help you practice compassion and pacing yourself. Take a cue from yoga philosophy and view those who share the road with you through an open-hearted attitude. You are all having the same challenges this morning. People handle challenges in all different ways, whatever way they have learned works best for them. Maybe take a moment to realize that that slow and erratic driver in front of you is really scared, for whatever reason. Take a deep breath in and out to center yourself, then another inhale full of the cool and calm light around you, and exhale it as a blessing toward that person.
If, on the other hand, you do get a day off at home to yourself, how can you turn it into the same kind of gift that a snow day was when you were a kid? How long has it been since you had a handful of hours to do with as you wish? What is it that your Soul has been craving and not getting through your busy life? Do you need to play? Pack your gear and head for the hills for some serious winter recreation. Or put on some fantastic music in your house and get your groove on all by yourself. Do you need to create? It's the perfect day for a slow cooker full of stew and a loaf of fresh bread in the oven. Or those art supplies you've been neglecting in the cabinet may need to come out and fill your hands with creative process. Do you need nurturing? How about a soak in a hot bath and some luxurious aromatherapy products. Or a blanket on the couch with a season of your favorite tv escapism to catch up on. Has your spiritual side been starving for attention? Maybe it's the perfect day for silence and meditation, or performing whatever personal ritual gets you connected to that which is beyond you.
In a life filled with activity, busyness, pressure and obligations; it becomes all the more essential that we take time for rest, recreation, and renewal. Snowy days may be Mother Nature's perfect gift for us to do just that. For me, I've got my favorite radio station streaming. I'll be spending some quiet time meditating in front of my personal altar today, getting out my art supplies to see what wants to be played with, and hopefully creating some culinary deliciousness for dinner. How about you?
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