“A snowfall comforts us, and tells us that it is acceptable to enjoy a warm beverage and soft clothing. It reminds us of a simpler time, when sledding down hills and building a snowman was commonplace.”
Today, it started to snow around three o’clock in the afternoon, and the childish side of me couldn’t help but to come out. I take photos of the snow, all while relishing in its captivating beauty. Fully capturing such an incredible sight as this is difficult. After all, it is the first snowfall of the season. While waiting outside of the school, standing in the freezing cold and hoping my bus arrives soon, I take notice of the snow, only this time, in a different way than before.
Interestingly enough, I take notice in the snow in the same respect that I sometimes do to sound while in a loud room. I look at the snow as a whole, the flurries blanketing the school’s pavement in white at a rapid pace. The snowfall becomes mystifying, similar to how the noisy rumble of a cacophony of voices sounds when listened to as a whole. By looking up into the snow, rather than looking at it from my natural, horizontal view, I am able to capture the snowfall’s essence in a different angle: where it came from, and where it is going. I take it all in, never minding that the snowflakes rested on the lenses of my glasses or on my smiling cheeks. The beauty overtook the discomfort.
However, now walking home, I can’t help but to observe the other side of a snowfall. Snow is classically described as a blanket of white, but what if it were to be defined as a bandage? Covering up the ugliness of the world, the hurt, the sorrow? While it may be a hassle to clean up afterwards, most can agree that there is a sensation that washes over one’s memory when a snowfall begins outside of one’s windows. A snowfall comforts us, and tells us that it is acceptable to enjoy a warm beverage and soft clothing. It reminds us of a simpler time, when sledding down hills and building a snowman was commonplace. Even if only for a little while, a snowfall convinces us that there is hope, attempting to leave that sentiment within us as it slowly melts away. The snow covers up the pain that we feel in the real world and shows us that there is beauty all around us, especially when looking up. One’s perspective changes with a fresh snowfall.
Just some thoughts on a snowy afternoon.
Note: “Snowy Afternoon” was originally written on November 15th, 2018.