Let It Snow, Let It Snow, Let It Snow
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Let It Snow, Let It Snow, Let It Snow,
John Paul Derryberry
A friend once said to me about the winter months, " I like them because if you're cold, put on more clothes, but when it's over 90 degrees outside, once you are naked, you're naked." This moment wasn't the moment of my perspective change on the best seasons of the year, but it was the start. Enduring my umpteenth sunburn ruled out summer a long time ago. I should have bought stock in sunscreen since it takes a whole tube of the stuff to keep me in the sun longer than 30 minutes. Here it is: Winter is my favorite season of the year. Being honest, with Hallmark and Netflix pumping out 1000 new Holiday movies again this year, I think, secretly, it's more people's favorite season as well.
So, It snowed a lot over the Thanksgiving Holiday weekend, and just about every co-worker, friend, acquaintance made some comment about how Winter sucks. Finally, at 37, I dared to say publicly and loudly, "the snow made me happy." If your travel plans got upended, I apologize. Even though we all know that when you plan to travel anywhere in the Northern half of the country from mid-November to mid-March, you are gambling.
Since I consider mid-November to Mid-March winter, let me give you ten universal reasons and one personal reason as to why Winter is superior. It probably won't change your mind. Still, maybe other winterites will rise up and no longer feel shame for apologetically enjoying Winter as their favorite season of the year.
Let's get the selfish one out of the way: basketball season goes through Winter, and it's my favorite sport. Yes, it's played year-round, but the important stuff happens during the coldest months of the year. As to the other reasons that I love winter:
1- No sunburns and sweating profusely just because I stepped outside into an oven. Sunburns are horribly painful, and yes, some of you will counter with frostbite. But every time I venture out in the Winter, I'm aware of frostbite. Fifteen minutes in the sun for some of us fair-skinned folks, and we have a burn. No one, I repeat, no one wants to smell your sweat, yet that's what we do every summer day above 85 degrees. I don't have to stop my fun every 15 minutes in the Winter and re-cover every section of exposed skin in goop that probably causes cancer.
2- Thanksgiving- the best holiday ever- no need to expound further. And yes, if you live above the Mason-Dixon line, Thanksgiving is a winter holiday.
3- Christmas/Kwanzaa/Hanukkah- holidays are a time of family, reflection, gifts, traditions, and memories. Winter is packed full of them.
4- New year's eve- Who doesn't love renewed hope? And when does it occur for us Northern Hemisphere people? Winter!
5- Name your winter activity. I happen to love them all even though I'm horrible at two of them. Sled-ridding, snowshoeing, snowman building, snow angels, snowball fight, snow machining, downhill and cross country skiing, ice boating, and ice fishing. And, I do not worry about burning my feet on scorching hot beach sand or being eaten by a shark.
6- The morning after the first big snowstorm is the prettiest sight ever- full stop. I have seen the sunrise on the Atlantic and sunset on the Pacific. Neither compare to the morning after a snowstorm when everything is covered in white. It's peaceful, calm, almost slow-motion.
7- Hot Chocolate! I really hope you do not need any more explanation for this one.
8- Bundling up. We all have mourned the loss of the perfect gloves, scarf, hat that kept us toasty warm in the winter months. We only complain about how we look in summer clothes because they reveal too much. I love winter gear: hand and toe warmers, gloves that go over other gloves, neck warmers, and winter coats with 15 pockets.
9- The Movies plus blankets. There are summer classic movies-Jaws, Sandlot, Major League. But Christmas Vacation, Santa Claus, Miracle on Fourth Street, Ground Hog's Day, Elf, and many more, plus a comfy cozy blanket to lie under with a cup of hot cocoa. Come on, it's not even a competition.
10- Going someplace warm during the winter months. Every season gets long in the tooth. There are days in summer that are way too hot so we long for colder days. And there are winter days where the wind chill hits -50, and we want the beach and a fancy fruity drink sitting poolside. You travel to a warm place in the Winter, it's an escape because everyone treats it as such. Nothing beats being in New Orleans standing on Frenchmen street and checking the weather back home and seeing a 40 degree difference. The smile is big and wide those days.
So over the next three and half months, if you are around me, you may hear me humming, Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow. You have two options: join in or ignore, because no comment about how you hate Winter is stopping me. Just make sure you drive smart and safe on those icy roads. I've got no way to explain that one away.