Opinion : Enjoying the blizzard

I have to say the word "blizzard" warms my heart. Now it used to terrify me. I was afraid of them when I lived at home, and my dad was an over-the-road trucker. Those times we waited to hear if he had gotten to his destination or waited by the door as he made his way home. Those weren't fun. 

It also meant that we needed to haul extra wood into the house to fill the hungry wood stove...which kicked out the 80 and 90 degree heat. 

When I had a family of my own, and it included teenagers, I loved a good snowstorm. That meant everyone was tucked in the house and they couldn't go anywhere for about a day. It was the best. The board games came out, the chess set was dusted off, the kids who loved to bake would crank out some homemade bread and/or cookies, the ones who loved to cook a hearty meal, or snacks, cooked and it was like Christmas! 

At the end of the day, we usually watched a movie and just enjoyed a great day of being together. Those are the times that were the best. It's kind of like that when we gather now. Now the six kids have added a spouse and some awesome grandkids into the mix. It's a bit louder for sure, but it makes me smile. I wish for a blizzard at time, but when it happens, they all still want to get back to their own homes now. 

As I see the postponements and cancellations rolling in, I appreciate our men who hop into the huge snowplows and clear our streets. The secondary road crews, I think, are the bravest. They go out into the white wilderness where no one has been and cut a road in the snow for us. Sometimes they have to carve through drifts that might be taller than our cars, but they do it.

Now is a great time to teach your kids to work. Hand them a shovel and send them to an elderly neighbors home. If you have teenagers who need some gas money, hand them a shovel and tell 'em to hit the neighbor's sidewalk; most are willing to pay for a well-shoveled walk. 

School is delayed for a couple of hours tomorrow, at least as of Sunday night, (go ahead and pray for a day off, but don't tell the teachers!) make a few plans for those extra hours in the morning. Make a hot breakfast to fill the tummies and just plan for a little extra time with the kids. 

Down the road, you'll be glad you did...and days like this, you'll miss...trust me.