story time

Today is the first cold day of the season and in honor of this frosty morning, I would like to reprint a short story I wrote in college. This story was part of a book titled "My Shoes Are Size 6" (I know it's kind of long, but it's worth it. I promise.)

I Am Much More a Winter Person.

      My life makes sense on snowy days. I wake up in flannel pajamas and pull on my biggest sweater, the one that feels like my mom's arms are wrapped around me. I pick out the gray socks that are so thick my feet barely fit in my shoes. I use words like 'cuddle' and 'snuggle'. Wrapped in a thick blanket, I sit by the window and watch the snow fall. My breath clouds the pane of glass, and when I can no longer see, I wipe it away with my hand. The glass is cold and I shiver just thinking about going outside. Under the streetlight the snowflakes dance around each other, twirling and leaping, slowly making their way to the ground. I feel at peace. With the snow comes silence and a strange warmth I struggle to explain. When it snows I feel like time slows to a crawl. The sky and my surroundings push in towards me and hold me gently in space. The beauty and tranquility of it all creates a warmth deep inside me, which protects me from the cold. The flakes continue to fall, and my thoughts turn back to my bed. Six inches taller now that the down comforter is on it. I thank my flannel sheets because if they were not so cold when I first lay in them I would not appreciate the warmth they soon give. I hear the heater click on and I can soon smell the dust burning off of the dormant coils. That is the essence of winter.
     Stepping outside, the icy air tickles my nose and stings my eyes. This is my first breath of winter. Words escape my mouth in clouds of steam. Snow and ice cling to the trees where leaves once did, and some boughs bend under the weight. I walk along a shoveled path past a sleepy house and over a silent stream. I lose myself in the beauty snow creates. Everything looks innocent and new. The mountains, now blanketed in white, beckon me. I turn back and promise to return another day. Back inside, the aroma of hot chocolate and burning logs greets me. I remove my gloves and shake the snow off of my hat. Sitting by the fire, I pull the blanket tight around my shoulders and eagerly await tomorrow.
     As April nears the snow starts to melt, and with the first blade of grass spring announces her return. The skeletal trees have been bare for so long, their first leaves reintroduce me to the color green. A flower blooms and then another. I see purple, yellow and pink. Spring brings rebirth and a feeling of freshness to the world. These days make me feel like a mother and a child all at once. I tend and I fuss. The word 'clean' is added to my vocabulary and used frequently. The sweaters are packed away neatly while the entire house is reorganized. Spring essentials like fresh cut flowers and young vegetables now have priority. When I'm finished the house is aglow. Sunshine pours in through the window, spilling over the sill onto the floor. Then reaching for my toes it beckons me to step outside. My pale face welcomes the sunlight. Warm and bright, I see things with a new eye. Activity abounds and my inner child begs me to explore. I poke my nose in flowers, going from one to another, smelling everything I can. I lay in the grass and watch the trees sway back and forth. I watch the clouds change shape and move on. A contagious energy fills my world.
     The days grow longer as the temperatures rise, and the last day of school signals the unofficial start of summer. Shorts and tank tops conquer the shelves in my closet. I find my swimsuit hiding in the back of the third drawer from the top. Slipping into my blue bikini, I quiet the voice in the back of my head and reintroduce my legs to the sun. I dedicate the first days of summer to achieving a healthy golden glow. Lying on the lawn with my walkman and a bottle of water, sweat drips off my nose into the spine of my book. Ani DiFranco singing in my head, "The heat is so great it plays tricks with the eye, it turns the road into water, then from water to sky..." The smell of chlorine and Hawaiian Tropics permeates the air. A quick dip in the pool reveals what I forgot a cold month ago. I feel at home in the water. Spinning and diving, I jump from the board. Gliding across the bottom of the pool, I test myself to see how long I can hold my breath. Every way I turn, hot, smiling faces greet me. During the summer the days never really end. Lying in the sun becomes reading in the shade. Reading in the shade leads to napping through the afternoon. Evenings start with the smell of burgers and the taste of cold beer then change to campfire smoke and uncontrolled laughter. At the end of the night they slow to full moons and long talks. Ultimately fading to black. Then a burst of gold and the cycle continues. That afternoon, while watching the heat rise off of the hood of my car, my mind relives the past two months, and I realize summer is almost over.
     The morning that fall arrives, I can see a new crispness in the light that shines through my blinds. Fall is that subtle bite that calls for a long sleeved shirt. It's the pleasure of feeling a cool breeze caress your cheek as you drift to sleep. It's the excitement I feel watching a thunderstorm. An indecisive season, fall teases me with days of sunshine and then rain. In the background, the trees explode with color as if not to let me forget them in the coming months. They leave me with a spectacular show of yellow, red and gold. Every tree and bush joins in creating this masterpiece and once again I am in awe over the simple beauty of nature. My excitement grows when the leaves start to fall. A chorus of crackling plays wherever I go. The days are cooler and I am delighted to wear jackets again. Ghouls and goblins are followed by family and fowl. I pause to give thanks for all I have. There is a very cold wind from the north tonight and I can't help but feel anxious. I find my mind wandering to snow capped peaks, as I impatiently await the first snow. After all I am much more a winter person.

xo