Let it snow!

Today is the second snow day in a row for the schools here. Snow days are the quintessential school holiday: unplanned, spontaneous, and absolute. Homeworks for yesterday’s no-school snow day were completed, and so today there is no incomplete assignments; since yesterday was canceled, no new homework assignments were made. There are no school obligations to muddle the freedom of the day; there is nothing to obstruct that freedom after the walks are shoveled. And though teachers carry their work home, for a moment they can breathe—and as they say, catch up. And for many teachers who have left their work in school, well, they can’t do it, dammit (they might say) and hooray (they might feel)! My children are sledding right now. It is quiet out here. Peaceful as the snow rises to my window sills.

There is a lot of snow on the ground, and it is March 2. There is less than three weeks until Spring. This past winter, that is, since December 21, the lack of snow and the relatively mild weather made Spring a possibility. Here in Wisconsin, Spring is a rare event. Spring usually comes in late and leaves early. Sometimes Spring’s duration lasts several hours. But this year, I almost thought we might experience Spring. Until last week, the dormant brown grass was visible.

But now I know that this year on March 21 the snow will still be on the ground. Nature once again asserts its power, and we humans remain subject to its inscrutable laws. In a sense, it’s a relief to recognize our limits.