Arctic Memories

A view of a snow-covered bridge in the woods.

I look about our town now.Our apartment grounds.The view is not the same as it was a mere few days ago.Just before Christmas our town was blanketed in white.A real winter wonderland that very much resembled the picture above.My first white Christmas at 47 years old.Growing up in California,as a child,I dreamed often of a white Christmas.But,alas,Sacramento does not get snow.And so I continued to dream of this picturesque world swathed in white.And it came to fruition at 47.40 years of waiting for this childhood wish to come to pass.My first white Christmas.A gift from God to me.The dream's realization had it's moments of pristine beauty.The way lights twinkled and danced off the crystalline world of white.Sheer beauty.The way the flakes shimmered when captured by the rare sun's rays that fought their way through the leaden,frozen skies.The sheer perfection of icicles that hung from every roof top when the ice storm hit.Beautiful.The amusing snow people that showed up all over town,in front yards and even on tops of vehicles that had been out of doors for too long.We laughed with sheer delight as we drove about town.Each snow person seemed to reflect the personality and ,lifestyle and the creativity of it's creator.For all it's beauty and laughter this soft white world also had it's share of hazards and pitfalls.Huge ruts in the roads created by falling ice and snow made a trip to the store feel more like off roading somewhere in the mountains.Slick patches everywhere made walking treacherous at best.We all held hands as we traversed an icy parking lot on the way to dinner out with family before Christmas.Sticking together helped us reach our destination safely.We were blessed with this most awesome of gifts and we relished it's icy presence while we had it.It's gone now,replaced by a more typical and warmer rain.But we have our memories and eventually some photos to remind us that it really did snow here.I really did have a white Christmas.And that when things get dangerous it's best to stick together.And to hold hands too if needed.
Blessings~Sharon