The morning felt like any other morning. I woke up, got ready, went upstairs to make breakfast, glanced out the window, and… Snow! At this time of the year??? I, like any good North Dakotan, should have been angered by the snow’s early arrival. But I couldn’t help but be captivated by its beauty.
The outdoors, already losing their beauty from fall, were now given a new life. The white snow covered everything. The ground was white and even. The trees were decorated with the glittering white. The remaining traces of fall made the scenery even more gorgeous as the white was blended with red, orange, and yellow. Later that day I stepped outside expecting to be hit with that unbearably cold Fargo wind. Instead, the weather was pleasant. As I drove up Tenth Street, the trees covered in snow and arching over the road were gorgeous. Later, the snow began to fall again. It made the world even more captivatingly beautiful, because the world was decorated with little white specks.
Throughout the following days, I found myself feeling overly happy and hopeful. I couldn’t help but wonder, “What’s wrong with you? You’re a North Dakotan. You’re supposed to hate snow with a burning passion!” But then I realized, the time to hate snow will come. Sometime in the middle of winter, I’ll wake up so cold I can’t get out of bed. I’ll look out the window and no longer find the winter scenery beautiful. I’ll scrape the frost off my car windows as my entire body goes numb from the cold. Then, I’ll hate the snow.
But now, there’s nothing wrong with enjoying the early snowfall. There’s nothing wrong with looking forward to the happy memories it brings: Christmas, sledding, skating, fort building, hot chocolate, and cozy days. Hopefully this Christmas I’ll be able to see my family members. I’ll get to help decorate the house, wrap gifts, open gifts, bake and eat the Christmas desserts, enjoy the Christmas meals, listen to the Christmas music, and be surrounded by the ‘Christmas cheer.’ I’m excited for the day where I’ll be able to go ice-skating, sledding, and/or fort building, and then come inside to a nice warm cup of hot cocoa with little marshmallows floating on top. Someday, I’ll be able to wrap up in my cozy winter clothes, drink my hot cup of matcha tea, and read a book.
This year, I was naturally grateful for the snow, but I know this won’t always be the case. When the familiar winter hatred creeps in, I can remind myself why I was thankful for winter in the first place.