"Winter's Embrace: A Mother-Daughter Snow Symphony"

It’s Saturday morning in the high mountains of Colorado and I wake to a bedroom full of an unknown brightness.

Sleepy eyed, I roll out of bed and inch my way towards the window. It has no curtains since mom, dad and little sis moved to our new house. Most of my toys are still in boxes, crammed in the furthest corner of my room. All I have is my race car bed and dresser. Mom says it takes a couple of weeks until we are fully settled into our new home. I am not sure how long a couple weeks are but it already feels like years since we moved into this new log cabin.

As I get closer to the window, I notice the brightness is greater than anything I have ever seen in my whole seven years of living. Was it the sun shining so bright that it was lighting up my room? The sun always seemed to be shinning in Arizona. But now we lived in Colorado where the sun seemed to go down sooner behind the large mountains.

Finally I reach the window and see a blanket of whiteness cover the ground outside. The trees look as if they have been sprinkled with powdered sugar. Kinda what mom does with my French toast. It looks like that. Powdered sugary goodness that you can lick up.

It’s snowing! I clap my hands with excitement. I’ve never seen snow before and now I was looking at it for the very first time.

Eventually I break away from the scene happening right outside my window and run downstairs.

The kitchen is filled with the usual smell of bacon and the brown stuff mom and dad drink every morning. Coffee, I think that’s what they call it. Sliding on the kitchen tile, I make a grand entrance and announce, “mom! It’s snowing outside!”

Turning in my direction, she is holding sis in her arms and smiles brightly at me. “Yes, honey it sure is snowing.”

“Can I go out and play?”

“Of course! But first we have to dress up warmly. Come on, I’ll help you layer up.”

Not sure what layer up means but I run back upstairs to my bedroom. Mom helps me put on my PJ bottoms with a long sleeved shirt. Next she puts on jeans over my PJs and another long sleeved shirt. She grabs socks and puts two pairs on while rolling the tops over the bottom of my jeans.

“Mom, socks go under my pants. Not over them.” Silly mommy.

She giggles. “Yes I know. But this prevents the snow from going up your pants.” Finally she puts on my jacket and zips it all the way to the top. “We need to buy you snow pants and a winter jacket but this will do for now.”

She takes what looks like an oversized sock and places it on top of my head and over my ears. Another giggle escapes from her smile, “dad’s beanie is a little too big for you but it’ll keep you warm. Now let’s get sis dressed.”

I stand in the hallway, waiting for mom to hurry up. I can hardly move and feel like I am about to die from the heat. It’s difficult to walk down the hall. I feel like a penguin trying to make it across the North Pole.

After waiting for what feels like hours, mom finally has sis and herself dressed for the great snow storm. In my best effort, I waddle towards the front door where mom puts on my snow boots we bought yesterday. “At least we have good shoes to wear!” She says with another smile. Mom looks just as excited to go outdoors. I wonder if she has ever seen snow before?

“Ready?” She says while starring down at me, an extra twinkle in her eye.

“READY!” I yell in response.

The door opens and immediately I feel a swoosh of coldness wrap around me. For a moment I am completely mesmerized by the beauty of it all. There is only whiteness in sight. It covers the deck, the cars and seems to go on forever. Softly I feel mom push my back and I take my first step outside.

Light as a feather, I fall delicately into the snow which lands past my knee. Slowly I feel the chill of it creep into my boots, through my socks and up my body. I shiver. Wether it’s from the cold or the sudden thrill, I can’t tell. What I do know is that I am ready to take another step.

It’s hard at first to trek through the deep snow but mom helps by holding my hand. I watch something come out of my mouth every time I breathe and ask mom, “why is there smoke coming from my mouth?”

“It’s steam honey. The air is so cold that it makes your breath freeze.”

“Freeze?” I say in response and I’m shocked. Snow makes my my breath freeze? I should be scared but honestly all I want to do is touch the white fluffiness at my toes.

I reach over and stick one single finger deep into the snow until my whole hand is in it. I feel a chill spread. I scream in response and see mom putting down sis and make a ball out of snow. Curiously I watch as she smiles and throws it at me.

With a thud it hits my chest softly and crumbles away back to the floor. Shocked by this, mom says “your turn! Make a ball of snow and toss it at me.” I do as I am told and make a tiny ball of snow and throw it as hard as I can only for it to fall apart mid-air.

She laughs again which makes me laugh. Even with the chill nipping at my cheeks, I can’t help but feel so happy.

Is snow magical? Because all I can do is smile and laugh.

With another effort, I scoop up more snow and run towards mom allowing my first snow to wrap me up in its chill and wonderment.