Christmas Peanut Butter

One of the coldest times of year is here. The snow softly stacks itself into blankets, comforters over the landscape surrounding our home. The wind rattles the windows every now and again. The inconvenience and bite of the cold hinder some peoples ability to do there daily routines and tasks, even, angering some in moments.

Though it is so cold, maybe inconvenient, and frozen/snowy, it is the week of Christmas! The climate stops us in our tracks to remind us to slow down, and take it all in. After all, if a rubber band kept trying to stretch in the cold it would snap. Similarly, we are not machines and are made of malleable but not unbreakable materials (literal and physical).

So, I pause. Looking around I find that there are children playing in the snow, making snowmen, snow angels and just seeing the wonder in such a cold form of precipitation. Its that wonder that get us all through the holiday season.

More snow is dancing down from the clouds above and I can see those fabulous and beautiful patterns in each snowflake, just like the ones I used to try and cut out of paper, as they land on my freshly cleaned car window. It doesn't seem so important that I rush off to a job, that is there all year long, anymore. I have friend, family, and even just myself that would appreciate this time of wonder that seem to be so easily accessible during one time of year, Now!

In clothes prepared for anything, I start my adventure down memory lane, while making it anew. I go for a run because I just feel free. The cold air does truly bit at your nose and face on days like this. But it feels like nothing compared to the joy thats warming me from within! A small hill... I'm sure it'd be perfect for a short slide. I spot cardboard boxes nearby at someones dumpster and now have the perfect makeshift sled for this fine winter day! Others join and we laugh and appreciate the little moment with some joy and a bit of nostalgia. The boxes have gotten a bit soggy, and are placed back in their receptacles.

What's next? Ahhh, thats the beauty, There is no plan. A smell of hot cocoa and warm baked goods... let's see if we can find it. And without much luck we pranced through the snow, found adorable paw prints on the path, heard laughter in the air and just felt free. Christmas was this week and nothing seemed more perfect than the pairing of cold snow, ice to skate on, and Christmas. Despite it being so cold out the pairing seemed as perfect as peanut butter and jelly, or grandma and her cookies. Despite it being literally cold and bitter, something about this pairing seemed so warm. It heated me up from inside my chest and radiated out.

Since I didn't find the source of such delicious smells, I stopped by a local coffee shop for hot cocoa that steamed the air in front of me as I walked. On the way home, embracing the slower nature of cold, of snow, and of the season. It felt good to be unbound and reignited, but it also felt just a little achy. This is ache is the hardest to describe as it isn't a bad ache, but it isn't really overly good either. I think this is the truest form of nostalgia. The spirit of hope, happiness, joy, freedom, and gratitude/celebration gives the crisp of the cold air a run for its money.

Back home, I made myself my mom famous pumpkin pie that I had nearly perfected, had my lights aglow and watched The Santa Claus with Tim Allen. It was the perfect cold day. All that was missing was the warm chaos of my very big, very loud family.

I normally write poetry and wanted to challenge myself to step into a different light/realm of words, art, and storytelling. This was supposed to be and inspired by the Tale of Hearth challenge, but I didn't quite finish in time for the submission. Let me know what I did well :)