snow day!

about a year ago i wrote a blog (who knew rain days existed) about my surprise at school being cancelled due to rain. perhaps it was due to the street turning into a muddy river. or perhaps it was due to a different culture that knows how, and when, to stop and take a breath.

today i was reminded of this when i got a text from my boss at 8 am saying "the office is closed today. go build a snowman!" my immediate response was - what? real people with real people jobs get snow days too?! i figured that one of many sacrifices i was going to have to make by choosing a job other than teaching was to give up snow days. what a delightful surprise to be wrong!

i hurried downstairs and made celebratory pancakes (with butterscotch chips, of course) for myself and my housemates who ALSO all had snow days. we then spent the rest of the day doing absolutely nothing. we knitted. we had craft time. we watched movies. we ate. we just took a breather (minus my short attempt at shoveling that i quickly abandoned as i realized the sidewalk was getting re-covered in snow just as quickly as i was clearing it). it was a delight to just to stop. and enjoy a day. it was different than any saturday. there is always something to do, an errand to run, a room to be cleaned, something on any given weekend. but having a snow day today allowed me just to relax.

i realized two things today:

1. i was extremely surprised that a company in the United States would close its office for a little bit of snow. in our culture of go-go-go-work-work-work-achieve-achieve-achieve, it was a shock (a pleasant one, albeit) that so many organizations/businesses would close down.

2. maybe the families in La Via in Cuernavaca, Mexico had it right - when the weather isn't ideal, there's no need to make a hassle for your day and try to fight it - simply take the day off, stay home, enjoy some relaxation and free time.

i wish our culture could embrace that idea better. next time it's pouring down rain, don't go to the grocery store just because you had planned to. the groceries will be there tomorrow. . . take a breather. take a break. just enjoying being.